Palestinian forces evacuated from Lebanon.

• Position: 20th December, 1983 - under United Nations flag

Acting on humanitarian grounds, after consulting with the Security Council and receiving its support, Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar authorized the flying of the United Nations flag on five Greek ships which evacuated Palestinian fighters from Tripoli, Lebanon on 20 December.

The decision was announced on 3 December following the Security Council consultations. A request for permission to use the United Nations flag had been received on 1 December from Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

In conveying the request, the PLO Permanent Observer to the United Nations referred to a cease-fire agreement reached by parties involved in fighting in the Tripoli area, which provided for the departure of all Palestinian armed elements from Tripoli and its vicinity.

In the Security Council consultations, the Secretary-General said permitting use of the United Nations flag "would be on purely humanitarian grounds to facilitate the resolution of a situation which has already cost many innocent lives and created great destruction" (document

S/16194).

He said there would be no financial implications and the only purpose would be to provide symbolic protection. Any action he would take "will be in line with the overall objective of respecting the sovereignty and authority of the Government of...