Lebanese President delivered his first UNGA address, highlighting Lebanon’s unique role as a model of coexistence between Christians and Muslims. He called for peace, sovereignty, and the full implementation of UN resolutions, especially 1701, while urging international support against Israeli aggression. The President emphasized reforms, fighting corruption, empowering youth, and rebuilding Lebanon after war. He reaffirmed commitment to Palestinian rights, safe return of Syrian refugees, and Lebanon’s mission as a land of dialogue, plurality, and peace in the Middle East.
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#Lebanon #UNGA #MiddleEast #Peace #Palestine #LebanonUNSpeech #Israel #UNResolution1701 #LebanonReform #SyrianRefugees
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NewsTranscript
00:00Madam President, Mr. Secretary General,
00:06fellow colleagues, heads of state and delegation,
00:10I stand before you today to talk about peace, development, and human rights.
00:16At a time when some of my fellow citizens are facing death,
00:20parts of my country are under occupation,
00:23and while my homeland and my people live in uncertainty.
00:28This situation takes me back some 77 years ago
00:33to the drafting committee of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
00:40During one of the debates, the late, great Eleanor Roosevelt
00:46stepped in to support one member's opinion so that he is not left alone,
00:52as she said to those in attendance.
00:55The dissenting member respectfully responded,
00:58Honorable Lady,
01:00My concern is not to side with the majority or the minority,
01:08but to align with the truth.
01:12The author of these words was no other than Charles Malik,
01:17the Lebanese philosopher who worked alongside other great minds of the time
01:22to give humanity this eternal declaration.
01:27He was also granted the honor of presiding over this august assembly from 1958 to 1959
01:36to represent my country, Lebanon.
01:39Madam President,
01:41Mr. Secretary General,
01:43colleagues, ladies, and gentlemen,
01:45I recall this incident today,
01:47first to express my profound sense of pride
01:51and my heightened sense of responsibility as I stand before you today for the first time
01:58in my capacity as President of Lebanon on the 80th anniversary of this great organization.
02:06Second, because our session focuses on examining the inherent relationship between three human virtues,
02:16peace, development, and human rights.
02:20And between these three virtues and my country, Lebanon,
02:24the Lebanese experience, alongside lessons from our region and the world,
02:30have shown that there can be no development without peace,
02:34peace for growth cannot take place within chaos and prosperity cannot be achieved amid conflicts and wars.
02:42Peace is the only foundation for development.
02:45Experience has taught us that just as there is no development without peace,
02:51there can be no peace without justice and no justice without human rights,
02:57particularly the right to live in dignity.
03:02Without dignity, peace becomes an illusion,
03:07and the only growth will be in poverty, underdevelopment, violence, and bloodshed.
03:14Since the establishment of this great organization,
03:20its charter stipulated the need to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,
03:31to live together in peace with one another as good neighbors,
03:35and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples.
03:45These noble principles remained on paper for 80 years,
03:51as the blood of our people was spilled on the ground.
03:56The reasons might be numerous.
03:59One can attribute them to the authoritarian nature of man,
04:03the nature of relations between countries based on power struggle,
04:06hegemony, and the race for absolute dominance in all fields.
04:12However, another reason has stirred this tragedy.
04:16At least 30 years ago, talk, since talk began in this very chamber about a new world order.
04:25The reason is related to the issue of identity and plurality within any society.
04:32or within societies and countries, especially in the era of globalization.
04:38On the one hand, people need one another.
04:41On the other hand, they fear for their identity.
04:45This led to an emerging issue that drove humanity back to the path of conflict.
04:55Let us acknowledge here that religion remains a primary factor in defining the identities of human groups.
05:04In the name of religion, countries are at war with one another.
05:14In the name of religion, many countries have imploded from within.
05:18Furthermore, religion continues to shape the world in profound ways.
05:24While Islamophobia and xenophobia grow in the West,
05:28the East is still haunted by the memory of colonialism and the remnants of old religious wars.
05:35Despite remarkable scientific progress, the world finds itself trapped in a bygone era.
05:44Madam President, Mr. Secretary General, colleagues.
05:49At the heart of this dilemma, Lebanon plays a unique role.
05:54This is its raison d'etre.
05:56This is the significance of Lebanon and its message to the world.
06:01Amid the global clash over religious identities, Lebanon stands out as a nation where Christians and Muslims coexist as equals.
06:14Under a constitution that guarantees equitable representation to both communities in the parliament and the council of ministers.
06:24With full citizenship for all individuals.
06:30This model is open for progress.
06:39This model was criticized by some.
06:42However, it offers a unique, evolving approach.
06:47As the late Pope John Paul II observed,
06:51Lebanon is more than a country.
06:54It is a message of freedom and plurality for the East and the West.
07:01End of the quote.
07:04I reiterate and emphasize a message of freedom and plurality.
07:10In the region where people are killed or kill over their religious belief or even for displaying a symbol of faith in a weary world torn between those who want to impose religious attire and others intent on banning it.
07:31But, Lebanon offers a unique, unmatched and irreplaceable model.
07:40A model that deserves to live, that must exist for the region and for the world.
07:46A model that allowed me as an Arab Lebanese to serve as the only Christian head of state from East Asia to the coast of Europe.
07:59My country, Lebanon, the land of human secularism with profound faith without any imposition or prohibition of any kind.
08:14A model that requires all those who are committed to a better future for humanity to ask the following two questions.
08:24First, why would there be an international and UN obligation to preserve Lebanon?
08:31And second, how can we achieve this goal?
08:34First, indeed, there is a human obligation to preserve Lebanon.
08:41If this model falls, this model of coexistence between two different religious communities that are completely equal, where else around the world can we replicate this experience?
08:57First, if Christians were to disappear from Lebanon, this equation, this delicate balance will fall and with it justice.
09:07If the Muslim community in Lebanon no longer exists, this balance will also fall and this will also undermine justice.
09:19The fall of Lebanon, precipitated by the loss of any of its integral components, would foster the rise of extremism, violence and bloodshed both in our region and in the world.
09:31It is clear to me today that many of the underlying causes of the war on Lebanon, as well as the deeper, more insidious motivations behind it, have been aimed at dismantling Lebanon's unique model.
09:46These actions serve to justify an orient fractured by conflicting identities and perpetual ethnic rivalries destined to remain in a state of ongoing conflict.
09:58While certain may benefit from the situation, however, it is ultimately in the interest of the world and humanity to strive for international peace.
10:07Hence, the success of the Lebanese experience will set a benchmark for any country.
10:12This model today is a vibrant, steadfast and energetic country determined to live, resolutely refusing to succumb to adversity.
10:24What it takes to save it simply a clear and firm stand in words and action aimed at liberating all the Lebanese territory and securing the exclusive sovereignty of the Lebanese state enforced solely by its legitimate and legal armed forces over its land.
10:43This is the unanimous will of the Lebanese people since the declaration of November 27, 2024, which was adopted with the support of the United States and France and this very organization as a mechanism to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
11:04I reaffirmed this commitment in my inaugural address following my election as president in January 2024, and it was also approved by the government and its ministerial statement of February 2024.
11:20Throughout our negotiations with President Trump's envoy, Ambassador Tom Barak, we worked on drafting a paper to guarantee full stability on our land to which we are still bound and still await the same commitment by other concerned parties on our borders as well.
11:41This is what Lebanon seeks.
11:44Let me be more frank.
11:46Allow me to feel some pride for my country and my people, for they do deserve it.
11:55Ladies and gentlemen, we are truly an exceptional country by all measures.
12:01We are a country that each year receives people from the Lebanese diaspora, the equivalent of a third of the country's residents.
12:13This underlines the unwavering connection between the Lebanese people and their homeland.
12:18There is hardly a major project in our region that does not bear the signature of a Lebanese person, nor a cultural or artistic event that lacks a Lebanese imprint.
12:34In fact, it is almost certain that Lebanese contributions can be found in every significant endeavor among the member states of this distinguished organization.
12:51One could scarcely find a nation that does not have within its borders a member of the Lebanese diaspora who is engaged, productive and creative.
12:58These individuals integrate harmoniously with their host societies.
13:03We, ladies and gentlemen, are a country capable of embracing modernization, and we have started already implementing a gradual program of financial and economic recovery.
13:14Together with an independent financial audit, a fair restructuring of the banking sector and the modernization of the administration, we have also taken on the fight against corruption and organized crime to rebuild the trust of the Lebanese people in their state and the world's confidence in Lebanon.
13:33Simultaneously, we have launched legislative and institutional reforms consecrating the independence of the regulatory bodies of the state's productive sectors and enhanced the independence of the judiciary aligned with international standards in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
13:56Our government has also recently joined the United Nations Convention on biological diversity in line with our history of commitment to the principles of international legitimacy.
14:13We are also set on advancing public freedom, combating hate speech, and empowering young men and women in the decision-making process.
14:26We can only be prosperous if all our citizens live in dignity.
14:33Ladies and gentlemen, our country is dedicated to investing in quality education, and we are expanding today this investment to encompass a knowledge economy.
14:46Lebanon is also an essential crossroad for global trade corridors.
14:59While advancing on all these fronts, our country simultaneously shoulders numerous burdens, and we shoulder these burdens with responsibility and seriousness.
15:12Most pressing among them are the persistent instabilities along our southern border.
15:18We call for the immediate cessation of Israeli aggression, the full withdrawal of its occupying forces from all Lebanese territory, and the release of our hostages that we shall not forget nor leave behind.
15:31We insist on the complete implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
15:38This will be achieved with the help of the mandate given to UNIFIL working in coordination with the Lebanese army over a transitional period to achieve peace and stability in this context.
15:48Allow me to extend my gratitude to the members of the Security Council who adopted the resolution to renew UNIFIL's mandate to help us achieve lasting peace and stability.
15:58However, the deep underlying causes of our crises extend beyond our immediate borders.
16:04This is why it is our moral, human, and political obligation to call for an immediate end to the devastation taking place in Gaza.
16:16We urge the revival of a new political track aimed at finding a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian question based on the resolutions of international legitimacy,
16:27the principle of the two-state solution ensuring the right of both states to a secure and dignified existence as ratified by your General Assembly,
16:39with a majority of 142 states out of 164 states in the New York Declaration.
16:48The second major burden Lebanon is carrying now is the unprecedented displacement situation taking place on its soil,
16:56which, measured by capita, stands as the largest in history.
17:00Lebanon looks to the United Nations and its specialized agencies as well as to the Syrian authorities to address this critical issue.
17:12Through direct negotiations and with the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
17:16we aim to reach comprehensive understandings and agreements across different aspects of our bilateral relations,
17:24the goal being the dignified and safe return of the displaced Syrian citizens as well as the restoration of the special relations between Lebanon and Syria
17:33in good neighborliness and close cooperation in various fields, overcoming the misunderstandings of the past.
17:41The third burden crippling us today is the reconstruction of Lebanon following the Israeli aggression on our soil,
17:49especially with respect to the infrastructure necessary for the return of the Lebanese authority to the Lebanese border towns
17:57and to the rebuilding of homes and villages bulldozed and demolished by the aggression.
18:05For there will be no stability if it is not rebuilt and its beauty restored.
18:10Furthermore, there's the issue of providing the necessary means to our legal armed forces
18:15so that they may take on the task of defending and safekeeping our national integrity.
18:19We remain hopeful about the public initiatives to organize international conferences dedicated to that purpose.
18:26Ladies and gentlemen, Lebanon does not seek special privileges or favors.
18:32Indeed, it calls upon the international community to act with responsibility, fairness and equality,
18:39thereby enabling Lebanon to reclaim its role as a land of freedom and plurality.
18:44This very spirit underpinned the Distinguished Assembly's resolution on August 16, 2019,
18:50to grant Lebanon's request to establish the Human Academy for Dialogue and Conversions Within Its Borders,
18:56a resolution that was for a time overshadowed by the many crises Lebanon has faced in recent years.
19:03Today, Lebanon is intent on reviving this vital initiative.
19:06Our intention is both to reassure ourselves and to send a message to the world.
19:11Lebanon is returning to its rightful place, both within the international community and among the nations gathered at the United Nations,
19:18a true platform for human values and the advancement of humanity.
19:22In closing, I reiterate the opening theme of my message.
19:26While I stand here today advocating for peace, my countrymen are being killed.
19:31The conflict is still very fierce between Lebanon being a land of life and joy
19:36and a platform that spreads both values to the region and the world,
19:40and Lebanon being a place of sorrow and wars, spreading both woes to the region and the world.
19:46We in Lebanon have made our choice.
19:50We choose to be a land of life and joy and we shall abide by it.
19:55I call upon you all for the sake of peace in our region, for the good of humanity.
20:00Stand with us. Do not abandon Lebanon. I thank you.
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