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Press release
WCCR Delegation AT UN TO
ACTIVATE CHAPTER SEVEN (7) IN THE DEFENSE OF LEBANON
New
York NY, Cedars News, Feb 24th, 2008
A
delegation from the World Council for the Cedars Revolution visited the
Security Council at the United Nations last week and met with several
missions in the goal of pushing forward for the implementation of
Chapter 7 for Lebanon’s crisis resolution. The delegation led by Joe
Baini, President of the WCCR included Tom Harb, Najib Zwein, Toni Nissi,
Carol Sokhen, Kamal El-Batal and Eblan Farris.
UN Terje Roed Larsen with (Left
to Right) WCCR President Joe Biani, WCCR Secretary General Tom Harb,
Terje Roed Larsen, Najib Zwein from Beirut-based Bureau of National
Coordination (BCCN), and WCCR Human Rights Kamal Al Batal.
The
first working meeting was with the UN Secretary General special
ambassador for Lebanon for the implementation of UNSCR 1559, ambassador
Terje Roed-Larsen .The two parties reviewed the state of affairs in
Lebanon in light of the implementation of the resolution since 2005 and
agreed on the necessity of putting additional efforts worldwide both at
the UN level and at the level of NGOs to create the best conditions for
the execution of the will of the international community regarding the
protection of Lebanese sovereignty and the defense of its civil society.
Ambassador Rod Larson assured the delegation that a UN decision is
permanent and will eventually and ultimately be implemented. Local
conditions could change but the stipulations of these resolutions are
made under international law and cannot be dismantled. Rod Larsen also
assured the delegation that the secretary general is in constant search
for the best ways to implement the Security Council resolutions. In this
regard he is the best manager for these resolutions. When he will find
the best context, he will mobilize all resources available to be used.
Tom Harb assured ambassador Rod Larson that Lebanon’s civil society and
the Diaspora are committed to the implementation of these resolutions
and they are sending sign after sign through these million-strong
demonstrations. Harb added: “The people of Lebanon are part of the
effort to see its country free and democratic. Every single mass
demonstration is a powerful message to the international community sent
by civilian populations calling for the strongest measures to implement
international security. In short, the people of Lebanon want the United
Nations to use all its resources, including chapter 7. Hence, we as NGOs
representing the aspirations of this civil society are here today to
remit to you this memorandum calling for this important measure on
behalf of a society under danger. Its legislators, intellectuals and
military officers have been assassinated and targeted. Chapter 7 of the
UN Charter calls on the Security Council to act when no other means are
possible anymore.” Following Mr Harb, Mr Toni Nissi reviewed the
situation of the UNIFIL and the several attacks against its units. “The
UN forces have been under attack by terror forces several times. We feel
the Security Council must enact chapter 7 to protect its units which are
protecting Lebanon.” The delegation then officially remitted its memo to
the ambassador.
UN Terje Roed Larsen with (L-R)
CRNews Editor Eblan Farris, ILC 1559 Toni Nissi and Hyatt Nissi
Italy
The
delegation met with Mr. Fabio Sokolowicz, First Secretary of the
Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations. Italy leads the UNIFIL
mission in Lebanon. The delegation discussed the developments on the
grounds and made recommendations regarding the fate of the UNIFIL and
the measures needed to enhance its security. The Italian mission assured
the delegation that the Security Council and the Secretary General are
aware of all challenges on the grounds and are constantly reviewing the
developments. Mr. Joe Baini thanked the Government of Italy for
consenting to these efforts and assured the mission that the Lebanese
worldwide are standing by Italy in its efforts to lead the UNIFIL
mission in Lebanon. The delegation remitted the memo to the mission.
The
UK
The
delegation met with Mr Gareth Bayley, First Secretary of the United
Kingdom Mission to the United Nations and remitted its memo after it
discussed the importance of moving to Chapter 7, particularly in light
of the necessity of moving all political and peace related processes
forward in Lebanon including the election of a new President of the
Republic, disrupting the flow of arms through the Lebanese Syrian
borders and the assassinations. The UK mission assured the delegation of
their strong support for the restoration of Lebanon's parliament and
election of President as first steps towards restoration of full
sovereignty, democracy and freedoms for the people of Lebanon. They
agreed to support any measure which help achieve these objectives, but
they also expressed reservations about being able to muster sufficient
support for a chapter 7 mandate over all of Lebanon.
France
The
delegation was received by Mr Jean-Batiste Faivre, First Secretary of
the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations. The delegation
raised the issues of despicable conditions of living under constant
threat of the break out of civil war, destruction of the economy and the
dismantling of the fiber of Lebanese society in a country which has all
the potential of being a very successful, enterprising democracy, yet
inexplicably survives by a thread without a functioning parliament and
without a President. Mr Joe Baini said there were no excuses for
speaker of Parliament (Nabih Berri) who has choked the country's
democracy to death by locking the parliament doors and going home for
the last 15 months. He claims to be a legitimate speaker but denounces
the legitimacy of the government. Mr. Najib Zwain said the Prime
Minister of the Country (Fouad Siniora) lives in constant fear of
assassination every day of his life. He cannot govern effectively
because he does not have a functioning parliament to enact legislation
and he doesn't have a president to sign off on his measures and plans.
The
French officials assured the delegation that their Government is
following the situation in Lebanon very closely and is in contact with
the United States, other members of the Security Council and the Arab
League. They underlined the commitment of Paris to implementing all
relevant UN resolutions regarding Lebanon, including 1559 and 1701.
The
United States
The
delegation was received at the US mission where it delivered its
memorandum and engaged in a discussion of the best steps to move the
current stalemate to a forward action. Mr Toni Nissi clarified that
Lebanon is in such a desperate position that it cannot protect its civil
society from the constant acts of assassinations by terrorists who if
not Lebanese themselves, are foreigners on Lebanese soil terrorizing the
whole country. He said that Syria continues to supply arms to Hezbollah
and continues to terrorize the Lebanese Civil Society. Those arms, he
argued can be potentially be used against the Lebanese. Baini said
Hezbollah continues to shut down the Beirut Central Business District
while UNIFIL has become a protector of Hezbollah without the capacity to
seek out and disarm any terrorist organization on Lebanese soil, thus
rendering the International Forces to observer status with no teeth.
The
US mission also assured the delegation that all mechanisms are now under
review to achieve the goals of implementing resolutions but also
electing a new President and insuring that the political process is not
under threat.
At
the end of the meetings the WCCR delegation released the memorandum
reviewed by the acadamic Advisor to WCCR Dr Walid Phares calling for
the activation of Chapter 7.
CALLING THE UNITED NATIONS
TO ACTIVATE CHAPTER 7 IN THE DEFENSE OF LEBANON
The
World Council for the Cedars Revolution and the International Lebanese
Committee for the Implementation of UNSCR 1559, in view of:
a. The assassinations and Terrorist attacks since the Summer of
2005 targeting politicians, legislators, journalists, activists,
military officers and innocent civilians.
b. The several attacks perpetrated against UNIFIL personnel.
c. The attacks against the Lebanese Army, including in Nahr el
Bared in 2007
d. The obstruction of the election of a new President of the
Republic
And
in view of the fact that the Lebanese Government didn’t request yet the
implementation of Chapter 7 of the UN Charter; and since the threats are
continuous and the menace of greater threats are looming against the
Lebanese civil society, due to the continuous presence of armed militias
not under the authority of the Lebanese Government’s forces or the
UNIFIL;
The
WCCR and the ILC 1557, as INGOs representing the aspirations of millions
of Lebanese inside the Lebanese Republic and in many countries around
the world, formally asks the Security Council of the United Nations to
internationalize the Lebanese crisis through the immediate
implementation of Chapter 7 of the Charter through:
1. Deploying United Nations forces with the specific mission to
protect the Lebanese People from Terrorism.
2. Deploying UN forces along the Syrian Lebanese borders to stop
the flow of arms into Lebanon
3. Contain and isolate the armed enclaves in Lebanon until a
process of disarming is put into practice.
4. Support the Lebanese Army against Terrorist aggression.
5. Supervise the election of a new President for the Lebanese
Republic based on the democratic and constitutional principle of a
majority vote that obtains half of the votes plus one.
The
WCCR and the ILC UNSCR 1559 urge the Security Council to act fast and
firmly as any further delay will cause additional losses in life and
economic assets.
Signatures
Joe
Baini, President
Tom Harb,
secretary general |
