It was celebrated yesterday in Naqoura (Lebanon), in the presence of Major General Stefano Del Col, head of mission e force commander by UNIFIL, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
Representatives of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and some local political authorities.
General Del Col and his blue helmets of the 45 countries operating in UNIFIL, of which Italy is the second contributing nation, responded in unison to the global call in the name of international peace and security as sanctioned by the United Nations Charter .
“This day reminds us how important it is to act collectively to keep the peace!”.
General Del Col affirmed this during his speech, specifying that in southern Lebanon this means reaffirming and fulfilling the common objective connected to the cessation of hostilities.
The commander therefore renewed his appeal to interested parties to continue to maintain their commitment to the UN mission. "In UNIFIL, we all work together for our goal of maintaining an environment conducive to lasting peace and stability" he then added "even in a difficult moment like today's UNIFIL creates the conditions for political and diplomatic efforts to take hold, working to reach a long-term solution and a permanent ceasefire ”.
General Del Col then underlined how the 14 years of relative calm and stability in southern Lebanon have been achieved collectively thanks to the cooperation of both sides in the conflict and the local population itself. "I trust that the new negotiations underway at UNIFIL between the two countries, regarding the definition of borders, will allow for the full adoption of UNSCR 1701".
During the ceremony, General Del Col placed a wreath at the war memorial to pay tribute to the more than 300 peacekeepers who sacrificed their lives in the name of peace in southern Lebanon.
In 1947, the UN General Assembly sanctioned October 24 as the anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter, of which Lebanon is one of the 51 founding members, and is celebrated all over the world.
