Lebanon

I congratulate Mr. Francis on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. I wish him success in assuming that task, and I assure him of the support of the delegation of Lebanon for the visionary programme of work that he has set for the upcoming year. This year marks the eightieth anniversary of Lebanon’s independence, eight decades during which Lebanon has been striving to merit its place among peace-loving and prosperous nations. Lebanon was among the founders of this international Organization in which we meet today and significantly contributed to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However. Lebanon’s journey was not an easy one. In addition to the bright stages of its history in terms of stability, growth, prosperity and peace-building. Lebanon has also lived through long and very dangerous and difficult phases, during which it witnessed conflicts on its land and in neighbouring areas, along with wars of aggression against it. resulting in a prolonged occupation of dear parts of Lebanon’s territory, accompanied by two refugee and displacement crises and an unprecedented economic, financial and humanitarian crisis. Today Lebanon faces many overlapping crises against the backdrop of a weakened international system and a regional climate full of tensions and challenges, which weigh heavily on the Lebanese people, who suffer daily from the lack of basic moral and material elements that enable them to survive, in addition to the brain and youth drain and the receding flicker of hope in the eyes of many Lebanese men and women. The first challenge is of course the vacant presidency of the Republic and the inability to elect a new President of the country. That has led to institutional and political instability, the exacerbation of the economic and financial crises and the failure of the reform plans and economic and financial recovery on which the Lebanese are counting to save the country from the difficult conditions. I sincerely look forward to the Lebanese Parliament exercising its sovereign role by electing a President of the Republic in the upcoming period, a President around whom the Lebanese are united and who enshrines the return of the Republic through the country’s presidency and constitutional institutions and Lebanon’s return to fulfilling its mission and playing its leading role, in close cooperation with our Arab brothers and friends in the international community. In that regard. I commend the role played by the committee of five, as well as the French initiative aimed at helping to achieve that constitutional milestone. Twelve years have passed since the Syrian crisis began, and Lebanon is still bearing the burden of successive waves of displacement, the economic and social repercussions of which have affected all aspects of its life, thereby threatening its very existence. Despite voicing our concerns in all international forums and in this very forum, the international community’s response to the consequences of that human tragedy and its repercussions for us remains extremely shameful and fails to address it effectively and sustainably. From this rostrum. I once again warn of the negative repercussions of displacement, which deepen Lebanon’s crises. However. Lebanon will not be the only victim. I repeat that Lebanon will not be the only victim. I also reiterate the call for the development of a road map. in cooperation with all international stakeholders, to find sustainable solutions to the Syrian displacement crisis before its repercussions spiral out of control. In that regard. I would like to mention a positive development in terms of the agreement reached by Lebanon with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on the exchange of information regarding the Syrian presence in Lebanon. We stress Lebanon’s commitment to deepening cooperation with international institutions and United Nations organizations as a cornerstone of the sustainable solution that we seek. The third challenge is Israel’s continued occupation of parts of our land in the south, its daily attacks and violations of Lebanese sovereignty and violation of its obligations under Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). Lebanon affirms its full commitment to all the provisions of that resolution and its respect for all other relevant Security Council resolutions. I take this opportunity to thank all the troop-contributing countries participating in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the mandate of which was renewed by the Security Council at the end of August. The mission entrusted to that United Nations force cannot be accomplished without close cooperation and ongoing coordination with the Lebanese army. That would help to consolidate peace and security in the region and to restore the authority of the Lebanese State throughout its territory within its internationally recognized borders. Let me place on record Lebanon’s satisfaction with the start of oil and gas exploration in its territorial waters and its desire to play a constructive energy role in the Mediterranean basin in the future. Parts of the Middle East region are witnessing worrisome levels of political and security instability, which cast a shadow over the countries and peoples of the region. However, it is worth noting that there are striking exceptions of stability, development, growth and building a future in the Arab Gulf countries. Those countries and their peoples are dear to our hearts. Lebanon owes them a great deal of gratitude and appreciation. In that context, we welcome the return of the Syrian Arab Republic to its membership in the League of Arab States and the Saudi-Iranian agreement. Meanwhile, the brotherly Palestinian people continue to languish under occupation and to struggle to achieve their inalienable human rights. With the growing need to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, we reaffirm our commitment to a just and comprehensive peace, based on the two-State solution and international parameters, in particular Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Today I take this opportunity to recall the Arab Peace Initiative, adopted at the Beirut summit in 2002. which laid the foundations for the desired peace. In that context, and as a country that has hosted hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees since 1948. Lebanon would like to once again remind the international community of its humanitarian and moral responsibility towards the Palestinian refugees, and we call for full support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to enable it to continue to carry out its tasks, pending a final solution. We have always said that the world is witnessing cross-border challenges that require greater coordination and cooperation among countries, from climate change and viral pandemics to security, food security, cybersecurity, illegal migration, extremism and terrorism, to name but a few. There are many challenges of a global nature that can be met only through the concerted efforts of Governments, international organizations and civil society organizations. In that regard, we would like to express our solidarity with the Libyan and Moroccan peoples in the aftermath of the natural disasters that struck the two brotherly countries. International cooperation, based on the principles of partnership and inclusiveness, has become a sine qua non for the security, safety and well-being of peoples. The United Nations and its specialized agencies are at the heart of that international effort, guiding and supporting it with standards and tools. In the light of the challenges facing Lebanon at the national level, and despite the regional tensions and their adverse effects in various areas, my country is keen to continue to play the role expected of it at the regional and international levels. Despite the current situation. Lebanon has sought to continue to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. It also actively participated in the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27). held in Sharm El-Sheikh, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and looks forward to the same level of active participation in the COP28 climate conference, to be held in Dubai. We wish that brotherly host country and the conference every success. I would like to take this opportunity to stress the importance of a sovereign and independent Lebanese State that is strong, capable and inclusive and cooperates with the international community and friendly and brotherly countries; a Lebanese State that protects the parliamentary democratic system and public and private freedoms and engages in structural reforms and in strengthening the rule of law. citizenship, accountability and justice; a Lebanese State that believes in tolerance and brotherly relations and that adopts a policy of dissociation and stays away from the policy of axes; and a Lebanese State as an urgent need for security, peace, stability and prosperity in the region. That is the best way for all of us to keep pace with the changes, mitigate the negative repercussions, build the future and face the challenges of poverty, unemployment, the brain drain, extremism and terrorism, thereby avoiding the unknown. Finally. I would like to conclude by recalling the pillars laid by the President as his vision to lead the General Assembly at its current session. Peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability indeed summarize the aspirations of all our countries and peoples. There can therefore be no secure and prosperous future for us all without achieving those pillars, which in turn can be achieved only through solidarity and collective action to avoid further wars, conflicts, challenges, human tragedies and material and environmental losses.