Press elements on Lebanon read by Ambassador Sven Jürgenson (Estonia), President of the Security Council for the month of May 2020.
Members of the UN Security Council expressed support to Lebanon to help it “exit the current crisis, and to address the economic, security, humanitarian challenges, as well as the impact of COVID-19 facing the country and called on the international community, including international organizations to do so.”
In a press statement read today (04 May) by Estonian ambassador Sven Jürgenson, whose country is presiding over the Council for the month of May, the members of the Security Council “took due note of the approval by the Government of Lebanon of an economic plan, as well as of its decision to request an IMF programme.” They also took note of the “urgent need for the Lebanese authorities to respond to the aspirations of the Lebanese people by implementing meaningful economic reforms, and notably the commitments made in the framework of the Cedar Conference, as well as at the international support group for Lebanon meeting.”
The Security Council recognized the additional challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the Lebanese economy and reaffirmed its strong support for the stability, security, territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.
The Security Council was briefed earlier by UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Yan Kubis and UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix behind closed doors.
The members of the Security Council also commended the efforts of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (UNIFIL) to maintain calm along the blue and expressed their “deep concern” following the recent incidents across the line and in the mission’s area of operation, as well as “all of the violations of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, including by land and air.” They recalled that all parties “should make every effort to ensure that the cessation of hostilities is sustained, exercise maximum calm and restraint, and refrain from any action of rhetoric that could jeopardize the cessation of hostilities or destabilize the region.”
