Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN, has called on the international community and the UN to maintain their support for Lebanon as the Middle Eastern country strives to overcome challenges.

Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN

Upon addressing a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on November 17, the Vietnamese diplomat highlighted the significant role played by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in assuring security and stability are maintained in the region.

Ambassador Quy therefore expressed hope that Lebanese leaders will soon establish a government that is capable of guiding them through periods of crisis.

The UNIFIL, the UN’s peacekeeping force based in southern Lebanon, was initially set up in 1978 in order to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, in addition to restoring international peace and security. Its mandate had to be adjusted on two occasions due to developments in 1982 and 2000.

Following a crisis in 2006, the UNSC moved to intensify the force and decided that along with its original mandate, it would also monitor the halting of hostilities, accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces in their deployment throughout the southern region, and extend assistance for humanitarian purposes. This was particularly important to access the civilian population and to facilitate the voluntary and safe return of displaced people.

The UNSC adopted Resolution 2539 in August to extend the UNIFIL’s mandate until August 31, 2021.

During the meeting, Jose Singer Weisinger, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations and head of Committee 2374 concerning Mali, spoke about outcomes relating to the committee’s activities throughout the year.

The committee was first established in 2017 to oversee sanctions imposed by the UNSC, such as a travel ban and freezing the assets of designated individuals and entities that actively stood in the way of implementing the Agreement of Peace and Reconciliation in Mali. The deal was signed in 2015 by the African country’s Government and both the Plateforme and Coordination des Mouvements de l’Azawad coalitions of armed groups.