The Head of Mission and Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major-General Luciano Portolano, told some 100 young Lebanese visiting the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping mission last week that both the UN and Lebanon share the responsibility of achieving lasting peace in the southern part of the country.

“I always say that UNIFIL doesn't work for the Lebanese; we do not work for you; we work with you,” said the UNIFIL head. “We all, together, share the responsibility of maintaining an environment of calm, peace and stability in the southern part of Lebanon.”

Major-General Portolano was addressing some 40 children of Lebanese army martyrs and another 60 scouts, who all had assembled in a hall inside the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura. The young Lebanese, aged between six and 20, had come down to the south in order to see first-hand the work of the UN peacekeeping mission.

In addition to hearing from Major-General Portolano, the visitors were also briefed by various UNIFIL units on their work in south Lebanon, Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), and the cooperation between the UN mission and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in maintaining calm in the area.

One of the visitors from the Al-Mahabbah Scouts, Toni Aziz, said he came to know the UNIFIL peacekeepers better.
“We appreciate them and their work which entails ensuring our safety and preserving our future,” said Mr. Aziz.

UNIFIL attaches great importance to its relations with the local population among whom the peacekeepers operate. One of the facets of this relationship is informing the people of Lebanon about UNIFIL’s mandate and activities through interactions with them at various levels.

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Article: Tilak Pokharel
Video Editor: Suzane Badereddine
Video Camera: Suzane Badereddine
Photo: Pascual Gorriz Marcos
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