YouSaid · the spoken record

Major General Lázaro Sáenz

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15
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2023-07-28
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2023-07-28
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un-security-council

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  1. “UNSCOL and the United Nations country team are working with the Government to ensure the protection of all communities in Lebanon, including Syrian refugees. In conclusion, I am grateful for this opportunity to brief the Council on UNIFIL.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  2. “We believe that the Government of Lebanon has a major responsibility to ensure that the mandate of UNIFIL is clarified publicly through its statements and its support for the activities of the mission and its peacekeepers. The international community’s support is also needed to help combat misinformation and disinformation. I would like to thank Member States that have engaged on that issue through the diplomatic channel. I would also like to highlight the vital role of the liaison and coordination mechanisms of UNIFIL to defuse tensions and critical situations created by misinformation and disinformation campaigns. Finally, related to the topic of hate speech, racism and extremism, I refer to the comments I have already made about misinformation, and I would like to add that hate speech is aimed at Syrian refugees in Lebanon.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  3. “Talks to agree on demarcation of the Blue Line, under the scope of UNIFIL, could be a practical first step in that process, which UNIFIL is ready to lead, with the Council’s support, when the parties are ready and willing to proceed in that manner. With regard to UNIFIL’s efforts to counter disinformation, I would like to say that misleading information about UNIFIL has a negative impact on the delivery of our mandate and on the safety and security of our peacekeepers. For example, such information might have had some influence on the attack against our peacekeepers in December. In that regard, we have implemented a new strategy to counter misinformation that includes, among other aspects, the key leader engagements with authorities in the capital and in the south of Lebanon, with great influence on the local population.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  4. “With regard to emergent threats against civilians and how the Security Council could provide support in the event of a new conflict between Lebanon and Israel, I stress that such a conflict would be catastrophic in scale and have terrible outcomes and devastating consequences for civilians in both countries. The best way to prevent it is through a durable peace agreement and a permanent ceasefire. UNIFIL operates alongside the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) political mission, which has a mandate to work on both internal political cohesion in Lebanon and on the land boundary between Lebanon and Israel. I urge the Council to continue its support, if possible, and encourage the parties to engage in such a dialogue.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  5. “The political leadership in both parties has a key role in that regard. We also encourage political support for a Lebanese national defence strategy, which is a key requirement to address the issue of weapons outside State authority and to meaningfully expand State authority in the southern part of Lebanon, as a key factor in maintaining peace and stability. The current financial crisis in Lebanon has had a devastating impact on the Lebanese Armed Forces and, of course, on the population as well. The Council has shown its support through paragraphs 10 and 11 of resolution 2650 (2022). That support has been greatly appreciated by the Lebanese Armed Forces.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  6. “With regard to the use of artificial intelligence to counter the risks, I would like to say that the parties — Lebanon, including Hizbullah, and Israel — have sophisticated technology and that UNIFIL, with the help of civilian assets and the troop-contributing countries, is moving forward in developing its capacity to monitor the concerns, fears and aspirations of the local communities, which is to say that the digital transformation strategy for United Nations peacekeeping is providing us with guidance in that regard. With regard to how to reinforce the capacity of host nations to protect civilians — as host nations have the primary responsibility to do so — we look to Lebanon and Israel to agree to a permanent ceasefire in order to establish a lasting peace. We believe that to be the best way to protect civilians in both countries.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  7. “Major General Lázaro Sáenz: I will address the questions about the role of the traditional peacekeeping mission as it relates to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in terms of the provisions of Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations. The first aspect is related to the role of intelligence, surveillance and satellite communications. I would like to say that UNIFIL has long-standing experience integrating intelligence in its assessments, operations and reporting. We are also implementing an aggressive strategic communications strategy to counter misinformation. In that regard, we see a key role for the Lebanese Government to play in helping to counter dangerous narratives that endanger both the local population and our peacekeepers.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  8. “But I also want to be clear, as it is critical to manage expectations: the type of conflict that could reignite between Lebanon and Israel would likely lead to significant civilian casualties, despite the mission’s preparedness and efforts. It is all the more important to invest as much as possible in prevention — the best possible protection-of- civilians strategy — and work to address the root causes of the conflict. As Council members are aware, the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has the primary responsibility to support the parties to achieve a permanent ceasefire. That is the best guarantee for the protection of civilians in both countries. In that, the support of the members of the Council, collectively and individually, will remain primordial for us.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  9. “Women and youth are essential partners in all tiers of the protection-of- civilians policy, even if their participation is not always as easily ensured as we would wish. On our side, UNIFIL ensures full participation of female peacekeepers in its operational activities. Women play an essential role in improving all aspects of our operations and facilitating access to local communities to maintain awareness of specific protection-of-civilians concerns. Female peacekeepers also serve as role models in UNIFIL’s efforts to support Lebanon in implementing its first national action plan on women and peace and security. I wish to emphasize the importance of a whole-of- mission approach in ensuring coordinated, cohesive and effective protection-of-civilians efforts.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  10. “That includes more than 450 daily operational activities, conducted both independently and in close coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces, and throughout the whole area of operations. UNIFIL also assists the Lebanese Armed Forces in keeping the area of operations free of unauthorized armed personnel, assets and weapons through coordinated operations. However, UNIFIL faces challenges in accessing all sites of interest, including unauthorized firing ranges. All UNIFIL personnel, both uniformed and civilian, are engaged in the establishment of a protective environment in south Lebanon and, through civil affairs and civil-military cooperation activities, help build resilient communities. Our protection-of-civilians mandate is also informed by the women and peace and security and youth, peace and security agendas.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  11. “They maintain regular contact with the Israel Defense Forces and Lebanese Armed Forces on the ground during routine activities by the parties along the Blue Line and are a vital communication channel at times of tension. That helps avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations. UNIFIL, like other missions, has recently been fighting an unprecedented rise in misinformation/ disinformation campaigns. Those have the potential not only to create tensions, but also to undermine the image and effectiveness of the mission, including by contributing to a decline in the local community’s acceptance, indispensable for the safety of UNIFIL peacekeepers, as well as access and freedom of movement through all our area of operations. Regarding the provision of physical protection of civilians, UNIFIL is deployed with a robust and visible presence.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  12. “The tripartite forum is the cornerstone of the mission’s coordination and liaison mechanisms, which have repeatedly demonstrated their utility as a vital platform for deconfliction, confidence-building and conflict prevention between parties that remain technically at war. Notably, the trust vested in those mechanisms was demonstrated with cross-Blue Line rocket fire on 6 April followed by Israeli air strikes the following day. The parties were able to pass messages through me to deconflict, avoid misunderstandings and facilitate the safe travel of the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL to the launch sites to prevent further rocket fire. On a daily basis, UNIFIL’s liaison branch has teams of unarmed observers deployed north and south of the Blue Line.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  13. “It is in recognition of an existing latent threat that UNIFIL’s protection-of-civilians efforts are currently focused on prevention and consolidating normative standards. The prevention aspect is at the heart of UNIFIL’s activities and is achieved through robust deployment across the area of operations, situational awareness, as well as dialogue and engagement with the parties to the conflict. In that regard, UNIFIL has established a tripartite forum as a key confidence-building and conflict management tool. The forum, which I personally chair, is the only venue where Lebanese and Israeli forces are in the same room in addressing security concerns.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  14. “Resolution 1701 (2006) from August 2006 authorizes UNIFIL to take all necessary action to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities and without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of Lebanon. UNIFIL is a traditional peacekeeping operation, operating under a mandate under Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations. Such a structure, as well as the operational context, set the implementation of a protection-of-civilians mandate apart from large multidimensional peacekeeping missions. Currently, in UNIFIL’s area of operation, there is no clear identified imminent threat of physical violence to civilians.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source

  15. “Major General Lázaro Sáenz: It is an honour to brief the Security Council on the protection of civilians. This is one of the key areas of the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative and among the most central mandates of United Nations peace operations. At the outset, however, it is with deep regret that I convey my condolences to the Government of Ghana for the death of one of its peacekeepers in a tragic traffic accident today. The 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah had a devastating impact on civilians on both sides. In the aftermath of the conflict, with a new mandate and additional resources, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) became one of the six current United Nations peacekeeping missions with a protection-of-civilians mandate.”

    2023-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9389 (2023) · source