S/PV.2516 Security Council

The first speaker is the representative of Lebanon, on whom I now call. 4. Mr. FAKHOURY (Lebanon) [interpretation from Arabic]: Allow me at the outset, Sir, to present to you our best wishes and congratulations on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for this month of February. I am convinced that your wide experience, and wisdom and the confidence you enjoy will be the best guarantee for successfully guiding consultations and discussions and for presiding over the meetings of the Council. 1. Adoption of the agenda ~ . 2. The situation in &e Middle East: Letter dated 14 February 1984 from the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Se-. curity Council (S/16339) 1.. The meeting was called to order at 4.10 p.m. 5. I should also like to thank the President of the Council for last month, the representative of Nicaragua, for the excellent efforts he exerted to ensure success for the Council’s work. Adoption of the agenda 6. On behalf of the Lebanese delegation, I extend our sincere condolences to the delegation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the death of President Yuri Andropov. The agenda was adopted. The situation in the Middle East: Letter dated 14 February 1984 from the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/16339) 7. Allow me also to thank France, through its representative, Mr. Luc de La Barre de Nanteuil, for its concern for my country, Lebanon, its security, the safety of its citizens, its territorial integrity and the preservation of its independence.

In accordance with the decision taken at the 2514th meeting, I invite the representative of Lebanon to take a place at the Council table and the representative of Italy to take the place reserved for him at the side of the Council chamber. 8. Lebanon has always been and continues to be a supporter of peace and peace-keeping forces. I cannot recall one occasion when Lebanon refrained from taking a positive stand with regard to peace-keeping operations and participation in the financing of United Nations forces, wherever they may have been dispatched. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Fakhoury (Lebanon) took a place at the Council table and Mr. Jannuzzi (Italy) took the place reserved for him at the side of the Council chamber. 9. Today there is an international force in southern Lebanon in accordance with the request of Lebanon, which ever since the inception of that force has continued to request that it may be allowed to undertake the task entrusted to it in accordance with Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978). The presence of that force represents one of the major achievements attained by the Council in the field of peace-keeping. In Beirut itself there is still a group of international observers working in accordance with Council resolutions 516 (1982) and 521 (1982).

I should like to inform members of the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Senegal in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. I 11. I have mentioned the foregoing to stress that Lebanon approves in principle the dispatching of United Nations forces or observers to assist in restoring security and stability in Lebanon and in making it possible for the legitimate authorities to exercise control over all Lebanese territory. Lebanon believes that the proposal to send international forces to the Beirut region alone represents a positive move. However, at the present time and under present conditions, this positive move remains partial and limited for the following reasons; First, the creation of favourable political conditions to ensure stability is the basis for the consolidation of security. Secondly, large parts of Lebanon continue to languish under the yoke of occupation. Thirdly, any international force which may be dispatched to Lebanon must have the means and effectiveness fully to undertake its tasks in all Lebanese regions. Fourthly, this effectiveness alone is capable of enabling the United Nations forces successfully to undertake their tasks, particularly in helping achieve security and stability and participating in efforts to bring about Lebanese sovereignty over all Lebanese territory inside its internationally recognized borders. 12. It is obvious that if the Council takes the relevant decision, then the question of the setting-up and dispatching of an international force, as well as the timing and duration of its deployment and the expiration of its mandate must be decided in consultation and co-ordination with the Lebanese Government. 13. Lebanon’s keenness to see the international force succeed stems from the current situation. More than anyone else, the Lebanese wish to have peace and security. They have been experiencing repeated tragedies for the past nine years. Those who only hear of those tragedies cannot perceive them in the same way as those who actually see them, and those who only read about them cannot really feel them in the same way as those who live through them. If the Council and the international community it represents wish to assist Lebanon, then let that assistance be proportionate to the tragedy. 14. Lebanon stresses once again that it welcomes any action undertaken by the Council that is proportionate to the dimensions of the crisis and in line with the realistic Lebanese viewpoint which I have expressed in this statement. Lebanon stresses its full readiness to cooperate with the Council and the Secretariat in drawing

The next speaker is the representative of Senegal. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. 16. Mr. SARRE (Senegal) [interpretation from French]: Mr. President, first of all allow me to join previous speakers in congratulating you very sincerely and presenting to you our best wishes for success on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for February. During the past three weeks, we have all admired your talent and skill in carrying out your delicate task. 17. Your predecessor, Mr. Chamorro Mora, the representative of Nicaragua, also deserves a tribute for the competent and authoritative manner in which he conducted the Council’s proceedings in January. ‘> 18. My delegation would like to express once again its condolences to the representative of the Soviet Union on the death of Mr. Yuri Andropov, the President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. / 19. Finally, I should like to thank all the members of the Council for allowing me to participate in this debate which we regard as most important. On 2 February, the head of State of Senegal, Mr. Abdou Diouf, told the Secretary-General, who was visiting our country, of the concern of the Senegalese people and Government over the escalation of tension in Lebanon. Hence weask that everything be done to restore peace in that country, especially since the Geneva conference on Lebanon gave rise to great hopes in that context. On 21 February, the President of the Republic of Senegal renewed that concern and issued a fresh appeal to the United Nations to get down to the task of helping the Lebanese bring about reconciliation in their mutual interest and in the interest of international peace and security with equal consideration being given to all political and ideological tendencies. For all these reasons, we welcomed the French initiative to convene the Council and its accompanying proposal. 20. The Council is meeting once again to consider the tragic situation prevailing in Lebanon, more specifically in the Beirut area, where the tragedy of Lebanon is particularly acute. 21. My country, Senegal, whose commitment to the peace and sovereignty of Lebanon accounts for its participation in the contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, would like right away to take this opportunity to reaffirm that commitment. Likewise, we shall support any initiative that could restore peace and harmony to that strife-tom land. 24. It is clear from various statements made over the past few days in the Council that a just and lasting solution to the situation now before us must not be delayed any longer. At the present stage of the development of that situation, my country fully supports the French proposal for the use of an international force to replace the multinational force deployed in Beirut. We are all the more in favour of this initiative because it seems to us indispensable that everything be done to avoid creating a vacuum, which could be dangerous, in the wake of the withdrawal of the multinational force, which is already well under way. We must make sure that there are no further Sabras and Shatilas. Moreover, the fact that the Lebanese parties to the conflict have on many occasions expressed a position in favour of United Nations intervention seems to demonstrate that such an undertaking would be appropriate. Indeed, this is borne out by the statement just made by the representative of Lebanon. 25. Of course, the mission of a United Nations force and the terms and conditions for its establishment will have to be carefully evaluated, in close consultation with all the parties concerned. Already, however, some urgent proposals have been made to the Council to deal with the most pressing issues. In our opinion, they are of very definite importance, because it is essential that the United Nations be enabled to contribute positively and in the most appropriate manner to an improvement of the situation in that troubled area. 23. Now more than‘ever, the Council must take the opportunity to.consider, in the light of General Assembly resolution 38/X, of 13 December 1983, the question of Palestine as a whole, and in particular the measures for the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East. That Conference, in my delegation’s opinion,. could be of benefit to Lebanon -indeed, to the entire region. The demonstrations of violence that we have been constantly witnessing are often the result, it must be said, of the failure to solve the question of the Middle East and the Palestinian cause. Today, violence seems to have become the order of the day; innocent people continue to be victims of it. In view of all that, the Council must without any further delay promote a climate of mutual confidence that will enable all the parties concerned to set aside their passions and commit themselves resolutely to the peace process, as defined by the International Conference on 26. The discussion taking place today is of particular importance for the very future of Lebanon. We trust that the Council will take, with all the urgency demanded by the situation, the measures indispensable for the gradual restoration of peace and security to that beleaguered country. The meeting rose at 4.35 p.m. HOW TO OBTAIN UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATIONS United Nations publications may be obtained from bookstores and distributors throughout the world. Consult your bookstore or write to: United Nations, Sales Section, New York or Geneva. COMMENT SE PROCURER LES PUBLICATIONS DES NATIONS UNIES Les publications des Nations Unies sont en vente dans les librairies et les agences dipositaires du monde entier. Informez-vous aup& de votre libraire ou adressez-vous B : Nations Unies, Section des ventes, New York ou Get&e. COMO CONSECUIR PUBLICACIONES DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS Las publicaciones de las Naciones Unidas e&n en venta en librerias y casas distribuidoms en todas partes de1 mundo. Cons&e a su librero o dirijase a: Naciones Unidas, Secci6n de Ventas. Nueva York o Ginebra. Litho in United Nations, New York 00300 90-61313~Janoary1993-2.050