UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary salutes the UN flag during a ceremony marking United Nations Day at UNIFIL Headquarters on 24 October 2017.
On UN Day, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary today highlighted the importance of working together to achieve a lasting peace in south Lebanon.
Speaking at an event marking the 72nd United Nations Day at the UN Mission’s headquarters in Naqoura, Major General Beary said UNIFIL looks forward to a time when it can hand over authority for the area south of the Litani River to the sovereign Government of Lebanon.
“UNIFIL and its peacekeepers will continually remind ourselves that this is why we strive to implement Resolution 1701,” said Major General Beary at the event, referring to the UN Security Council Resolution aimed at creating a space for the parties to pursue a permanent ceasefire and for communities to live in peace.
During the ceremony, Major General Beary and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Brigadier General Khalil Gemayel, representing LAF Commander General Joseph Aoun, placed wreaths at the UNIFIL Cenotaph in honour of the more than 300 peacekeepers who have lost their lives over the past nearly 40 years. “We must never forget the sacrifice that these peacekeepers and their families have made in the cause of peace in South Lebanon,” said the UNIFIL head.
The event was attended by LAF officials, elected representatives, religious leaders, Qaemaqams, international organization delegates, and UNIFIL military and civilian personnel.
Addressing the gathering, Major General Beary said: “We must all work together as one to avoid misunderstanding, to reduce tension, to avoid escalation that could lead to unnecessary conflict, in the area of operations and along the Blue Line in particular. We must work together as one to promote peace in our time and a better tomorrow for future generations, as was envisaged by those who drafted the United Nations Charter 72 years ago.”
UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter and it has been celebrated since 1948. Lebanon is one of the 51 founding members of the UN. The theme for the 2017 observance is “Potential in Diversity,” which aims at reducing all forms of inequalities including those based on gender, age, race and faith.
UNIFIL was created by UN Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 in March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area.
UNIFIL currently has around 10,500 peacekeepers coming from 41 troop contributing countries. The Mission maintains an intensive level of some 13,500 operational activities monthly, by day and night, in the area of operations. It is complemented by a seven-vessel Maritime Task Force.
----------------------------------------------------------------Video Editor: Aoibheann O'Sullivan Video Camera: Mohamad Hamze, Aoibheann O'SullivanAudio: Ghifar CharafeddinePhoto: Pasqual Gorriz----------------------------------------------------------------
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major-General Michael Beary speech