Mandate of UNIFIL extended for six months until 19 January 1987.

Mandate of UNIFIL extended for six months until 19 January 1987

On 18 July, the Security Council extendedthe mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for a period of six months--until 19 January 1987.

In unanimously adopting resolution586(1986), the Council also reiterated its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized boundaries and called on all parties concerned to co-operate fully with the Force for full implementation of its mandate.

The Secretary-General was alsoasked to continue consultations with the Government of Lebanon and other parties directly concerned and to report back to the Council.

Since UNIFIL was established inMarch 1978, its mandate has been extended 20 times for periods ranging from one to six months. It was last extended on 18 April 1986 for a period of three months, until 19 July 1986.

On 7 July, Lebanon, in a letter tothe Secretary-General (S/18202), asked for a six-month extension of the UNIFIL mandate, stating that it was convinced, despite the current situation in southern Lebanon, that the Force continued to be "an essential factor for stability and the best available option for ensuring peace and security in the region" precisely at a time when further efforts were needed to enable UNIFIL to discharge completely its mandate.

Report: The Secretary-General on10 July reported (S/18164/Add 1 and Corr.1), that his views remained as expressed in his 17 June report (S/18164), as follows:

* UNIFIL continued to be a "criticalforce for stability in southern Lebanon";

* The United Nations should pursuea process of negotiation with Lebanon and Israel to establish agreement for practical measures so the Force could fulfil its mandate;

* If UNIFIL were to be withdrawn,a vacuum would be created in southern Lebanon and "the ensuing competition to fill that vacuum would inevitably lead to uncontrolled violence, with great detriment to the welfare of the civilian inhabitants"; and

* Israel's continuing militarypresence in southern Lebanon was "self-defeating" and the right way to restore international peace and security in southern Lebanon was for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to withdraw from Lebanon and for UNIFIL to be allowed to carry out its mandate (see UN Chronicle 1986, No. 4).

The international community mustmaintain the effort to put into effect the solution decided upon by the Council in its resolution 425...