United Nations Security Council Resolution 2695 – The situation in the Middle East (UNIFIL)

Resolution 2695 (2023)

The Security Council,

Recalling all its previous resolutions on Lebanon, in particular resolutions 425 (1978), 426 (1978), 1559 (2004), 1680 (2006), 1701 (2006), 1773 (2007), 1832 (2008), 1884 (2009), 1937 (2010) and 2004 (2011), 2064 (2012), 2115 (2013), 2172 (2014) and 2236 (2015), 2305 (2016), 2373 (2017), 2433 (2018), 2485 (2019), 2539 (2020), 2591 (2021) and 2650 (2023) as well as the statements of its President on the situation in Lebanon and the Press statements dated 19 December 2016, 27 March 2018, 9 August 2018, 8 February 2019, 27 September 2021, 4 February 2022, 25 May 2022, 7 July 2022, 19 October 2022 and 15 December 2022,

Strongly urging the Lebanese political leadership and Members of Parliament to assume their responsibilities and prioritise the national interest by electing a new President without further delay,

Expressing grave concern about the obstacles to the political process and implementation of the necessary reforms including economic reforms, stressing the urgent need for the Lebanese authorities to respond to the aspirations of the Lebanese people in order to overcome and recover from the current unprecedented acute political, social, economic and humanitarian crises by the urgent implementation of previously outlined tangible reforms that would enable the quick conclusion of an agreement with the IMF and the implementation of the commitments made by Lebanon in the framework of the CEDRE conference of 6 April 2018 as well as the International Support Group for Lebanon meeting in Paris on 11 December 2019, reiterating support to Lebanon to help it exit the current crises and to address the economic, security, and humanitarian challenges, underlining the importance of delivering reforms to ensure effective international support and calling upon the international community, including international organizations, to do so,

Welcoming the delineation by Lebanon and Israel, through mediation, of a maritime boundary on 27 October, 2022, which will contribute to the stability, the security, and the prosperity of the region,

Expressing its solidarity with Lebanon and its people in the aftermath of the explosions which struck Beirut on 4 August 2020, causing a significant number of casualties and wounding thousands of people, including some United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel, and causing severe damages to commercial and residential infrastructures as well as to UNIFIL capacities, welcoming the International Conference on Assistance and Support to Lebanon and Beirut, organized on the 9 August 2020 by France and the United Nations and the follow-up International Conferences organized by France and the United Nations on 2 December 2020 and 4 August 2021, further calling the international community to reinforce its support to Lebanon and its people in that context, deploring the lack of progress of an independent, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation into the explosions by the Lebanese judicial system, and further stressing the need for such an investigation,

Responding to the request of the Government of Lebanon to extend the mandate of the UNIFIL for a period of one year presented in a letter from the Lebanese caretaker Minister for Foreign Affairs and Emigrants to the Secretary General of 21 June 2023 and welcoming the letter from the Secretary-General to its President of 3 August 2023 (S/2023/587) recommending this extension,

Reiterating its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon,

Reaffirming its commitment to the full implementation of all provisions of resolution 1701 (2006), and aware of its responsibilities to help secure a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution as envisioned in the resolution,

Expressing deep concern at the continued lack of progress made towards the establishment of a permanent ceasefire and other key provisions of resolution 1701 (2006) seventeen years after its adoption,

Calling upon all concerned parties to strengthen their efforts, including by exploring concrete solutions with the Special Coordinator of the Secretary -General and the UNIFIL Force Commander, to fully implement all provisions of resolution 1701 (2006) without delay,

Expressing deep concern at all violations, both by air and ground, in connection with resolution 1701 (2006) as underlined by the Secretary-General in his reports, and recalling the importance of control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory,

Expressing concern at the continued Israeli presence in northern Ghajar and an adjacent area north of the Blue Line, and underlining that the continuation of construction works in the area run contrary to the necessary withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces,

Expressing concern regarding the installation of tents south of the Blue Line in the occupied Shab’a Farms, near Bastrah, with individuals crossing from north of the Blue Line to access the structure which the Secretary-General assesses constitutes a violation of resolution 1701,

Underlining the risk that violations of the cessation of hostilities could lead toa new conflict that none of the parties or the region can afford,

Urging all parties to make every effort to ensure that the cessation of hostilities is sustained, exercise maximum calm and restraint and refrain from any action or rhetoric that could jeopardize the cessation of hostilities or destabilize the region,

Condemning the incidents of August-September 2019, 14 April 2020, 17 April 2020, 27 July 2020 May 2021, 20 July 2021, 4–6 August 2021, 25 April 2022, 6 and 7 April 2023 and 6 July 2023 which occurred across the Blue Line, calling on the parties to resort to the Tripartite Mechanism when such incidents occur, and further commending the liaison and prevention role played by UNIFIL allowing for de-escalation,

Emphasizing to all parties the importance of full compliance with the prohibition on sales and supply of arms and related materiel established by resolution 1701 (2006), and reiterating its call for the Government of Lebanon to secure its borders and other entry points to prevent the entry in Lebanon without its consent of arms or related materiel and for UNIFIL, as authorized in paragraph 11 of resolution 1701 (2006) to assist the Government of Lebanon at its request,

Reiterating the importance of the extension of the control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory in accordance with the provisions of resolution 1559 (2004) and resolution 1680 (2006), and of the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords,

Encouraging all Lebanese parties to resume discussions towards a consensus on a National Defence Strategy through a national dialogue as soon as a new President is elected, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions and the Taif Agreement,

Recalling the utmost importance that all parties concerned respect the Blue Line in its entirety, noting with concern the installation of containers and other infrastructure along the Blue Line which restrict UNIFIL’s access to, or visibility of the Blue Line, and whose proximity to UNIFIL positions is also of concern, also noting with great and increasing concern that UNIFIL still has not been able to access unauthorized firing ranges and all relevant locations north of the Blue Line related to the discovery of tunnels crossing the Blue Line which UNIFIL reported as a violation of resolution 1701 (2006), and urging the Lebanese authorities to urgently conclude all necessary investigations on the matter, in line with resolution 1701 (2006),

Noting the lack of progress in the marking of the Blue Line, encouraging the parties to resume and accelerate their efforts in coordination with UNIFIL, including through the tripartite mechanism, to continue working in the ongoing process to delineate and visibly mark the Blue Line in its entirety, as well as to move forward on the marking of its points of contention, as recommended by the Strategic Review, and encouraging all parties to refrain from any unilateral action which could risk undermining the integrity of the Blue Line,

Condemning in the strongest terms all attempts to threaten the security and stability of Lebanon,

Reaffirming its determination to ensure that no acts of intimidation prevent UNIFIL from implementing its mandate in accordance with Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), recalling the necessity for all parties to ensure that UNIFIL personnel are secure and their freedom of movement is fully respected and unimpeded and continues to respect the separate, supporting mandate under which Observer Group Lebanon operates, condemning in the strongest terms all attempts to restrict the freedom of movement of UNIFIL’s personnel, all acts of harassment and intimidation and all attacks against peacekeepers, including the attacks against UNIFIL forces on 4 August 2018 near the town of Majdal Zun, on 25 May 2020 in the town of Belida Southern Lebanon, and on the 10 February 2020, in Brashit, on 22 December 2021 in Shaqra, on 4 January 2022 in Bint Jubayl, on 13 January 2022 in Ayta al Sha’b and on 25 January 2022 in Ramiyah and strongly condemning in particular the fatal attack on a UNIFIL convoy near Aqibiyah on 14 December 2022 during which a peacekeeper was killed and three others were injured, and underlining that all parties must abide by their obligations to respect the safety of UNIFIL and all United Nations personnel,

Urging the Lebanese authorities to swiftly provide UNIFIL with further updates on the actions taken and finalise investigations on these matters, and taking note ofthe issuance of an indictment on 1 June by the military investigative judge in relation with the killing of a peacekeeper and injuries to three other peacekeepers in the fatal attack on the UNIFIL convoy near Aqibiyah on 14 December 2022,

Expressing concern regarding the electronic signature of the fire control radar of an F16 aircraft radar in lock-on mode on a UNIFIL Maritime Task Force vessel on 26 April 2023, and underlining that all parties must abide by their obligations to respect the safety of UNIFIL and all United Nations personnel,

Recalling the importance of ensuring the protection of children and taking appropriate measures in this regard, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions on Children and armed conflict,

Recalling the relevant principles contained in the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel,

Commending the active role and dedication of the personnel of UNIFIL and expressing its strong appreciation to Member States that contribute to UNIFIL and underlining the necessity that UNIFIL has at its disposal all necessary means and equipment to carry out its mandate,

Recognizing that UNIFIL has successfully implemented its mandate since 2006 and has allowed for maintaining peace and security since then,

Recalling the request from the Government of Lebanon to deploy an international force to assist it to exercise its authority throughout the territory, and reaffirming UNIFIL’s authority to take all necessary action in areas of operations of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind and to resist attempts by forceful means to prevent it from discharging its mandate,

Welcoming the crucial role played by the Lebanese Armed Forces and security forces, as the only legitimate armed forces in Lebanon, in extending and sustaining the authority of the Government of Lebanon, in particular in southern Lebanon, and responding to other security challenges, including the threat of terrorism, and the strong international commitment to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, which has helped strengthen the capability of the Lebanese Armed Forces to provide security for Lebanon, strongly urging further and increased international support to the Lebanese Armed Forces in the context of the current economic crisis, and further noting the relevance of this increased capacity in relation to their efforts to coordinate with UNIFIL in the implementation of the UNIFIL mandate, and calling upon Member States to urgently assist the Lebanese Armed Forces as needed to enable it to perform its duties in line with resolution 1701 (2006),

Expressing concern about the strong negative impact of the current social, economic and humanitarian crises on the capacities of the Lebanese Armed Forces and security forces,

Recalling resolution 2378 (2017) and its request of the Secretary-General to ensure that data related to the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations, including peacekeeping performance data, is used to improve analytics and the evaluation of mission operations, based on clear and well identified benchmarks, further recalling resolution 2436 (2018) and its request of the Secretary-General to ensure that decisions to recognize and incentivize outstanding performance and decisions regarding deployment, remediation, training, withholding of financial reimbursement, and repatriation of uniformed or dismissal of civilian personnel, are predicated on objective performance data, and emphasizing the need to regularly evaluate UNIFIL’s performance such that the mission retains the skills and flexibility needed to effectively carry out its mandate,

Also recalling resolution 2242 (2015) and its request of the Secretary-General to initiate, in collaboration with Member States, a revised strategy, within existing resources, to double the number of women in military and police contingents of UN peacekeeping operations,

Emphasizing the need to regularly review all peacekeeping operations to ensure efficiency and effectiveness, including reviews of UNIFIL when appropriate, taking into account developments on the ground,

Bearing in mind the strategic priorities and recommendations identified by the Secretary-General in his letter of 12 March 2012 (S/2012/151) as a result of the Strategic Review of UNIFIL, taking note of his letter of 8 March 2017 (S/2017/202) as a result of the most recent Strategic Review of UNIFIL, and expressing the need for a follow-up and update,

Welcoming the Secretary-General’s 1 June 2020 Assessment of UNIFIL and noting with appreciation the recommendations to further increase the efficiency and effectiveness of UNIFIL,

Determining that the situation in Lebanon continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security,

Adopted by the Security Council at its 9409th meeting, on 31 August 2023.