UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, his spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday.
The UN chief hopes that this agreement can put an end to the violence, destruction and suffering the people of both countries have been experiencing, the statement said.
Guterres urges the parties to fully respect and swiftly implement all of their commitments made under this agreement and undertake immediate steps towards the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).
Office of the UN special coordinator for Lebanon and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon both stand ready to support the implementation of this agreement, in line with their respective mandates, the statement said.
The UN secretary-general's statement came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the nation's security cabinet approved a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. The ceasefire is expected to take effect on Wednesday morning.
Philemon Yang, President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, released a statement on the same day, welcoming the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon and expressing appreciation to all sides that work to bring about the ceasefire.
The deal means an end to a year-long hostility, which claimed thousands of lives, destroyed a great number of civilian facilities, and caused massive population displacement on both sides of the Blue Line, said the statement.
Yang urged all sides to maintain dialogue and promote a solution for reaching sustained peace and security in the Middle East. The UN General Assembly will continue supporting all the efforts for maintaining regional peace and stability, the statement said.
UN Secretary-General welcomes ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon
UN Secretary-General welcomes ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon
China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Geng Shuang expressed concerns over the safety of frontline humanitarian and UN personnel and paid tribute to their noble efforts during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) public meeting on the protection of humanitarian workers held on Tuesday.
During the meeting, Geng reviewed the widely existing suppression and malice towards frontline humanitarian and UN personnel, and reiterated the urgency and necessity to implement solid protection measures.
"It is worrisome that despite the repeated appeals of the international community and the resolutions adopted by the security council, violations and attacks against the humanitarian and UN personnel are still widespread. As the lifeline of over two million people, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Near East has been systematically discredited and suppressed. So far, 247 of its staff members have died in conflict. In Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, and other places, humanitarian and UN personnel have continued to face violence, kidnapping, injury, harassment, and detention, which has a serious impact on humanitarian operations," said Geng.
Facing the situation, Geng urged all parties to adhere to International Humanitarian Law and related UN treaties and UNSC resolutions, and proposed four points at the meeting to collaboratively address the issue: to promote a ceasefire with all efforts, to earnestly fulfill protection obligations, to effectively provide safety and security support, and to firmly reject double standards.
At the end of his speech, Geng expressed his appreciation and respect to all frontline humanitarian and UN personnel.
"Lastly, I wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all humanitarian and UN personnel on the frontlines and to express our appreciation for their dedication and contribution. China stands ready to work with all parties to continue unremitting efforts to ensure their safety and security," said Geng.
China calls for better protection for frontline humanitarian, UN personnel
