The United Nations Security Council, which held a session this Thursday at 5 PM (Beirut time), has extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by a year.
Thirteen members of the Security Council voted in favor of Resolution 2695. Russia and China abstained.
The renewal came following a compromise between France and the United States on the freedom of movement of peacekeepers.
The resolution “extends the mandate of UNIFIL until August 31, 2024”, largely repeating the wording adopted a year ago on the freedom of movement of some 10,000 peacekeepers, wording since contested by the Lebanese government and Hezbollah .
The text thus calls on all parties to “ensure that UNIFIL’s freedom of movement in all its operations and that UNIFIL’s access to the Blue Line in its entirety are respected and not hindered.” “UNIFIL does not need prior authorization or permission to carry out the tasks of its mandate” and “is authorized to conduct its operations independently,” the text continues, stressing however the need to “coordinate with the government from Lebanon “.
The United Arab Emirates had considered an amendment, according to AFP, removing this reference to coordination with the Lebanese authorities, as in the 2022 resolution, but ultimately did not put this amendment to the vote.
On Wednesday, the vote was postponed at the last moment as some countries, notably the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Albania, rejected the amendment proposed by France.
Paris had made an amendment to the text of Article 16, which allows UNIFIL soldiers to carry out their mission in southern Lebanon “without prior authorization” and “independently” of the Lebanese Army. This modification mentions “coordination” between the international force and the Lebanese State.
We recall that Article 16, introduced last year in UN Resolution 2560, was denounced by the Lebanese State and Hezbollah.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently deplored that UNIFIL still does not have “full access” to certain places, notably the sites of the Lebanese NGO “Green Without Borders” which the United States in particular accuses of being a “cover” for Hezbollah activities.
The leader of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah warned at the beginning of the week against the renewal of the mandate of the UN force in the same terms as in 2022. “A foreign armed force which moves on Lebanese territory without the authorization of the government and the Lebanese army, without coordination with the Lebanese army, where is the sovereignty in all this?” he said.
The Lebanese government, in a letter to the UN Secretary General, also called for a renewal of the force but on the basis of the 2021 resolution which did not insist as much on the independence of the Blue Helmets movement.
“Unfortunately, the text does not reflect all of our concerns,” said Lebanese UN representative Jeanne Mrad on Thursday. “Freedom of movement must be respected, yes, but must also include controls, for different reasons,” she added, referring in particular to the security of UN personnel.
Israel
The Israeli Foreign Ministry welcomed the renewal of the mandate.
“Unifil helps maintain stability in South Lebanon. We call on the international community to adopt a determined attitude towards the attempts of the terrorist organization Hezbollah to incite provocation and attempt to lead to an escalation” of violence, it indicated.
Unifil Communique
The Unifil announced on Thursday evening that its mandate in South Lebanon has been extended.
It published the following communique: “The United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2695 (2023) today, extending Unifil’s peacekeeping mandate for another year. The new resolution reaffirms Unifil’s mandate under resolution 1701 (2006) and subsequent resolutions”.
It added: “The resolution reaffirms Unifil’s authorization to conduct its operations independently while continuing to coordinate with the Government of Lebanon, in respect for Lebanese sovereignty. The ultimate goal under resolution 2695, as under resolution 1701, remains a permanent ceasefire and long-term solution to the conflict”.
UNIFIL was originally established in March 1978 by the Security Council to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese government in reestablishing effective authority in the region. The mission’s mandate was adjusted twice due to developments in 1982 and 2000.
After the war in the summer of 2006, the Council decided that UNIFIL must, in addition to carrying out its original mandate, monitor the cessation of hostilities and accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces as they are deployed throughout the South. Moreover, it must provide assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary return of displaced people in safe conditions.
UNIFIL’s mandate is renewed each year by a vote of the Security Council.
