“The young children playing in the school yards of Tibnin dreaming of a bright future, men and women going to work every day in Bint Jbeil to support their families and the elderly residents of Naqoura enjoying evening chai with their neighbours as the sun sets over Tyre. These are the people we are here to support so that they and their communities can not only survive but also prosper and to lay the foundations of peace for the coming generations.”

These were the words of the Head of Mission and Force Commander of UNIFIL, Major-General Michael Beary, while addressing a special ceremony organized to mark the International Day of Peace at the UN mission’s headquarters in Naqoura today.

“I am glad to say that we are making progress,” said Maj-Gen Beary, who was joined at the ceremony by representatives of UNIFIL contingents from 40 countries, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), local government authorities, and political, religious and civil leaders from across south Lebanon.

He added that UNIFIL – established in 1978 to confirm the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in south Lebanon – continues to extend its support in laying the foundations of a permanent peace for the civilian population of the area.

Since 2006 UNIFIL’s mandate has changed to one of monitoring the cessation of hostilities, supporting LAF in the Mission’s Area of Operations (Ao), extending assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations, and assisting the Lebanese forces in ensuring that UNIFIL AO is free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL.

“The fact that we are still here in 2016, standing shoulder to shoulder with our LAF and OGL (Observer Group Lebanon) colleagues is an indication of how difficult and elusive peace can be,” said Maj-Gen Beary.

While paying tribute to 310 peacekeepers who have given their life in the cause of peace in Lebanon, he said, “It is our responsibility to continue the struggle for peace in south Lebanon so that the sacrifice of the fallen will not be in vain.”

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the UN General Assembly. In 2001, the Assembly designated the Day as a period of non-violence and ceasefire.

Also today, a group of 16 schoolchildren from south Lebanon painted murals on the theme of peace on the walls of the main UNIFIL base in Naqoura.

UNIFIL currently has more than 10,000 peacekeepers including 860 in the Maritime Task Force, the only naval force in the UN peacekeeping - and around 1,000 civilian national and international staff.

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Video Editor: Aoibheann O'Sullivan, Suzane Badereddine
Video Camera: Mohamad Hamze, Aoibheann O'Sullivan
Audio: Rania Bdeir
Photo: Pasqual Gorriz
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UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major-General Michael Beary speech