Lebanon
Lebanon
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
In the upcoming renewal of the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Council must include language that reflects its commitment to further the WPS agenda, especially through a provision calling for gender to be a cross-cutting issue. Specific attention should be paid to women’s participation in all peace and security issues, including disarming non-state armed groups, and a gender-sensitive needs assessments to effectively coordinate humanitarian assistance. The mission should also ensure that any humanitarian assistance is in line with existing obligations under international humanitarian law; and that women and girls have access to the full range of livelihood, legal, psychosocial, and medical services, including sexual and reproductive services, without discrimination (S/RES/2242 (2015), CEDAW/C/LBN/CO/4-5). The full deployment of gender expertise is essential in order to meet UNIFIL’s obligations to implement the WPS agenda. There is a need to emphasize women’s participation in the process as a means of their protection, as well as a need to engage women’s civil society organizations, including women’s groups (S/RES/2122 (2013) and 2242 (2015)), as UNIFIL’s relationship with local communities is essential to its success as a mission, as per its strategic review last year (S/2017/202). Finally, repercussions of the Syrian conflict in Lebanon, including the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and armed violence (S/2018/210), must not be overlooked or disconnected from the concerning deterioration of the rule of law (HRW, Amnesty International) or from the recent spate of killings and violent acts against women, particularly in the domestic sphere. In this context, the Council should exert pressure on Member States to uphold their obligations under resolution 1701 (2006), to prevent the sale or supply of arms to entities or individuals in Lebanon beyond the control of the State.
Relevant Resources
