Human Rights Watch Urges UN to Extend UNIFIL Mandate in Lebanon

Human Rights Watch has urged the United Nations to retain a peacekeeping presence in Lebanon following the scheduled conclusion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission’s current mandate this year.

Louis Charbonneau, the organization’s United Nations director, stated that ending UNIFIL’s operations without deploying a robust alternative international force would effectively leave millions of Lebanese civilians exposed to an uncertain—and potentially catastrophic—future.

Peacekeepers as a critical deterrent

According to Charbonneau, peacekeeping forces serve as a decisive deterrent against attacks targeting civilians and against violations of human rights.

Condition for drawdown

The organization further recommended that the UN extend UNIFIL’s mandate until security conditions in Lebanon improve sufficiently to allow for serious consideration of a larger-scale reduction in the force’s size.