SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UNIFIL MANDATE UNTIL 31 JANUARY 2001
Resolution 1310 (2000) Adopted Unanimously
The Security Council this morning decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for a further six months, until 31 January 2001.
Unanimously adopting resolution 1310 (2000), the Council called on the Government of Lebanon to ensure the return of its effective authority and presence in the south, and, in particular, to proceed with a significant deployment of the Lebanese armed forces as soon as possible.
Welcoming the statement of the Secretary-General that as of 24 July the Government of Israel had removed all violations of the withdrawal line, it called on the parties to respect the withdrawal line, to exercise utmost restraint and to cooperate fully with the United Nations and with UNIFIL.
Reiterating its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized boundaries, the Council stressed the importance of, and the need to achieve, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on all its relevant resolutions.
The meeting began at 11:30 a.m. and adjourned at 11:35 a.m.
Text of Resolution
The full text of resolution 1310 (2000) reads, as follows:
Report of Secretary-General
When the Security Council met this morning, it had before it the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) (document S/2000/718), covering the period from 17 January to 17 July.
According to the report, the Secretary-General is recommending that the Security Council extend the mandate of UNIFIL until 31 January 2001. The Council should do so with the understanding that the Force will be enabled to deploy and function fully throughout its area of operation and that the Lebanese authorities will strengthen their own presence in the area by deploying additional troops and internal security forces. The UNIFIL deployment must, therefore, be closely coordinated with that of the Lebanese forces.
In the report, the Secretary-General states that while there has been improvement in the Israel-Lebanon situation, the potential for serious incidents still exists. Therefore, both sides should maintain effective liaison with UNIFIL and take prompt action to rectify any violations or incidents brought to their attention.
Following formal notification from Israel on 17 April that it would withdraw its forces from Lebanon by July, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978), the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Terje Roed- Larsen, travelled to the region from 26 April to 9 May, the report states. He reviewed the requirements established under the resolutions with the Governments of Israel and Lebanon and other concerned Member States in the region.
The report says that he again visited the region to follow up on implementation, and the United Nations cartographer and his team worked to identify a line that would confirm Israel's withdrawal from the territory. The
Secretary-General reported that UNIFIL had completed the verification process on 16 June. Following that, UNIFIL found a number of violations where the Israeli technical fence crossed the withdrawal line, and the Israeli Defence Forces used patrol tracks that also crossed the line. The Security Council had been kept aware of the violations.
From 17 to 23 June, the Secretary-General visited the region, where he met with several leaders. The main topic of their discussion was the implementation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978).
According to the report, since the end of May the situation in the area of operation had remained generally calm, but there have been signs of tension between members of Hezbollah and Amal, reportedly over the elections scheduled to be held in Lebanon at the end of August or early September. The situation has been calm along the line of withdrawal, except for the line of withdrawal near Metulla where people gather daily on the Lebanese side to throw stones over the technical fence in the direction of where the Israeli Defence Forces are based.
The Secretary-General says that the reintegration of an area that has been cut off from the rest of the country for many years imposes a heavy burden on Lebanon, in addition to the serious hazard posed to the population by mine- clearance activities. In that light, he proposes to appoint a representative to Beirut. Also, there has been a serious shortfall in the funding of the Force. Unpaid assessments amount to almost $118 million, representing money owed to troop-contributors.
* *** *
Download Document Files: https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/2000/07/32166518150b606a85256eaf006ee95a_French.pdf
Document Type: French text, Press Release, Report, Resolution, Secretary-General Report
Document Sources: Secretary-General, Security Council, United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
Country: Lebanon
Subject: Middle East situation, Peacekeeping, Situation in Lebanon
Publication Date: 27/07/2000