UN Monitoring Lebanon’s Efforts to Form Cabinet Headed by Nawaf Salam

File photo: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) joined Nawaf Salam, Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations, and others, in a tree-planting ceremony on the grounds of UN Headquarters in New York. (UN)
File photo: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) joined Nawaf Salam, Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations, and others, in a tree-planting ceremony on the grounds of UN Headquarters in New York. (UN)
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UN Monitoring Lebanon’s Efforts to Form Cabinet Headed by Nawaf Salam

File photo: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) joined Nawaf Salam, Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations, and others, in a tree-planting ceremony on the grounds of UN Headquarters in New York. (UN)
File photo: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) joined Nawaf Salam, Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations, and others, in a tree-planting ceremony on the grounds of UN Headquarters in New York. (UN)

UN Security Council members held Monday closed consultations on Lebanon and received an update on the implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.

The meeting welcomed the January 9 election of former Lebanese Army Commander Joseph Aoun as President and the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Lebanon on Friday for a solidarity visit with the country and its people, his spokesperson announced on Monday during his daily briefing from New York.

Monday’s closed consultations at the Security Council were proposed by France, the penholder on Lebanon.

Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed the meeting on the implementation of the November 27 cessation of hostilities agreement between Israel and Lebanon ahead of the expiry of the 60-day deadline outlined in the agreement for the Israeli army to withdraw south of the Blue Line and, in parallel, for the Lebanese army to deploy to positions south of the Litani river.

The announcement of the cessation of hostilities frames the agreement as a set of “understandings” that reflect “steps to which Israel and Lebanon are committed” in order to fully implement Resolution 1701.

Adopted in 2006, Resolution 1701 called for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah based on a series of principles, including the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani river in Lebanon of “an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons” other than those of the government of Lebanon and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as well as “no foreign forces” in Lebanon without its government’s consent.

It also notes that the Lebanese army will begin carrying out several tasks, including dismantling unauthorized infrastructure and confiscating unauthorized arms and related materiel in the UNIFIL area of operations.

According to a 4 January AP article, Israel has “stopped attacking Hezbollah in most areas of Lebanon,” while launching “regular airstrikes” on what it says are Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon and in the Bekaa Valley.

In a 26 December 2024 statement, UNIFIL expressed “concern at continuing destruction by the Israeli army in residential areas, agricultural land, and road networks in south Lebanon.”

According to media reports, the US is apparently seeking an extension of the 60-day deadline stipulated in the agreement for the respective withdrawal and deployment.

In its statement, UNIFIL urged Israel and Lebanon to utilize the mechanism outlined in the cessation of hostilities agreement to address any outstanding issues.

This refers to a reformulated version of the tripartite mechanism established following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and then turned into a five-member mechanism that includes France and the US—which chairs the mechanism—and is hosted by UNIFIL.

The revised mechanism is tasked with monitoring, verifying, and assisting in “ensuring enforcement” of the commitments outlined in the cessation of hostilities and Resolution 1701.

UNIFIL’s statement further said that the mission is working closely with the Lebanese army “as they accelerate recruitment efforts and redeploy troops to the south” and that it stands ready to support Israel and Lebanon to meet their obligations, including regarding the absence of any armed personnel, assets or weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and UNIFIL south of the Litani river, as well as respect for the Blue Line.

During Monday’s closed-door meetings, Hennis-Plasschaert briefed the Security Council on positive developments seen in recent weeks in Lebanon, welcoming the January 9 election of the new President and the nomination of Salam to form the country’s new government.

She said the two developments offer “an opportunity to pave the way for progress towards consolidating the cessation of hostilities and preserving the country’s security and stability.”

Hennis-Plasschaert also urged the formation of a government as soon as possible to follow the caretaker cabinet headed by Najib Mikati.

Presidential Statement

At the time of the closed-door meeting, Council members were negotiating a draft presidential statement circulated by France on January 9.

The draft statement welcomes Aoun’s election and stresses the importance of the formation of a government.

Diplomats told Asharq Al-Awsat the statement also apparently welcomes the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon and calls for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the respect of Resolutions 1701, 1559 and 1860.

The draft presidential statement was not immediately adopted amid concerns that it would risk complicating de-escalation and compliance with the agreement on the ground.



Local Peace Efforts in Yemen Outpace UN Performance

UN steps in late as local efforts succeed in reopening Yemen roads (UN)
UN steps in late as local efforts succeed in reopening Yemen roads (UN)
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Local Peace Efforts in Yemen Outpace UN Performance

UN steps in late as local efforts succeed in reopening Yemen roads (UN)
UN steps in late as local efforts succeed in reopening Yemen roads (UN)

Local peace initiatives in Yemen have made notable strides in recent years, eclipsing the stalled efforts of United Nations mediators since the collapse of the Kuwait-hosted peace talks in mid-2016, which were derailed by the Iran-aligned Houthis.

These efforts have achieved key breakthroughs, particularly in facilitating prisoner exchanges and reopening roads between provinces – areas where UN-led negotiations have largely faltered.

Since the Houthis seized the capital and toppled the internationally recognized government in late 2014, UN envoys have made limited headway. The only tangible outcome was the 2018 Stockholm Agreement, which sought to halt fighting around the strategic Red Sea port of Hodeidah – a deal that analysts say primarily benefited the Houthis.

A separate nationwide ceasefire was brokered through regional diplomacy in 2022, but it remains fragile and at risk of collapse amid repeated violations by Houthi forces.

In the realm of prisoner swaps, local initiatives have far outpaced the UN's achievements. While the United Nations has overseen the release of around 2,500 detainees from both government and Houthi sides, grassroots negotiators have facilitated the exchange of more than 11,000 prisoners, along with the recovery of dozens of bodies.

As interest in UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg’s visits and initiatives wanes among Yemenis, local politicians and activists say few expect him to achieve any real breakthrough.

Many believe Grundberg now waits for regional powers to lead negotiations and merely lends UN legitimacy to any resulting agreements.

While the UN-led process remains stalled, local initiatives have delivered meaningful gains, particularly in reopening roads long blockaded by Houthi forces. The rebels had used road closures to punish civilians and restrict the movement of goods into areas under their control.

Activists credit local mediators with playing a pivotal role in easing the Houthi-imposed siege on Taiz by reopening the key road linking the city center to the eastern suburb of Al-Hawban — a move widely seen as a humanitarian relief.

The momentum of these local efforts continued with the reopening of a major route connecting the southern port city of Aden to Houthi-held areas through the provinces of Al-Dhale and Ibb, restoring a vital commercial and civilian artery.

With no new rounds of UN-sponsored talks since the collapse of the Kuwait negotiations, Yemen’s grassroots peace initiatives are rekindling hopes for further breakthroughs beyond road openings and prisoner swaps.

Local mediators are now pushing the Houthis to reopen Al-Fakher road in Al-Dhale province, which leads to the neighboring city of Ibb.

They are also working to reopen a vital route linking Abyan and Al-Bayda provinces through the mountainous Thura Pass — a road that would cut travel time between the two regions by half.

The UN has expressed support for these local initiatives aimed at restoring road links across a country fractured by nearly a decade of conflict.

Grundberg’s office said it recently dispatched a delegation to Al-Dhale, where officials met with government representatives and security leaders to discuss the latest proposal to reopen the main route connecting the capital Sanaa with the southern port city of Aden via Al-Dhale.