Ban Assesses Cabinet Policy Statement: Lebanon Must Commit to International Resolutions

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon is currently assessing the policy statement of the Lebanese cabinet, urging Prime Minister Najib Miqati to announce his commitment to Security Council resolution 1757 that established the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Ban’s acting deputy spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed to An Nahar newspaper on Saturday that the U.N. chief had contacted Miqati.

“He reiterated his hope that Lebanon commits to the Security Council resolutions, including 1701 and 1757,” Haq told the daily.

Meanwhile, Ban blamed the unrest in Syria for Lebanon and Israel’s failure to achieve progress in implementing resolution 1701.

The stalemate is thwarting both parties from fully implementing resolution 1701, preventing them from reaching a ceasefire and a long-term solution, Ban said in a report to the Security Council.

He urged the Lebanese and Israeli governments to fully commit to resolution 1701 and carry out the important steps in this matter.

The U.N. chief said that he is aware that the implementation of this resolution is linked to the regional situation, noting that the developments in Syria “directly” affect Lebanon’s commitment in executing the resolution.

The political unrest in the Arab world contributes in creating a turbulent environment, especially in Syria, due to the fact that many are fleeing the crackdown into the Lebanese northern borders, Ban said.

He said that the political vacuum in Lebanon that lasted four months is another reason why the country wasn’t able to apply resolution 1701.

In addition, the U.N. secretary general criticized the use of live ammunition by the Israeli army during the Nakba Day.

This is a clear violation of resolution 1701 and doesn’t commensurate with the threat the Israeli soldiers were exposed to, he said.

Clashes broke out on the Nakba Day a few months ago when Palestinian protestors in Lebanon sought to cross over into Israel in an effort to return to their homeland.

Israeli troops retaliated by opening fire at them, resulting in a number of deaths.

On the Israeli occupation of the northern part of al-Ghajar village, Ban said that it is a violation of resolution 1701.

Addressing Israel's continued occupation of the Shabaa Farms, he stated that he intends to continue his efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the issue.

He reiterated that Israel has carried out almost daily incursions of Lebanese air space, which he said is a violation of resolution 1701 and Lebanese sovereignty.

He noted that although Israel insists that the flights are a necessary security measure, UNIFIL did not discover any caches of weapons and military equipment or infrastructure in the South.