UNESCO adopts draft resolution to address Lebanon's needs amid ongoing war

BEIRUT — The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Executive Board adopted a draft resolution on Monday to address Lebanon's growing humanitarian needs amid the ongoing war between Hezbollah and Israel.

The resolution, supported by 66 countries, was titled "Assessment of the Current Situation in Lebanon with Regard to UNESCO's Mission."

It outlines a three-stage mechanism to be followed by UNESCO, a source within the organization told L'Orient Today. The first stage involves assessing the situation and identifying Lebanon's needs; the second, drafting an action plan; and the third, establishing an emergency fund to ensure the implementation of the action plan, financed by member states.

The resolution identified three priorities: the education and scientific sectors, heritage — particularly Lebanon's World Heritage sites such as Baalbek, Anjar, and Sour — and, finally, media and the safety of journalists.

In this context, Lebanon's delegate to UNESCO, Ambassador Mustapha Adib, delivered a speech in which he emphasized Lebanon's rejection of the war and its call for an immediate cease-fire and the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

More than 2,450 people have been killed in Lebanon during more than a year of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Israel escalated its war against Hezbollah on Sept. 23, displacing over 1.2 million people.

Forty countries that participated in the UNESCO voting process expressed solidarity with Lebanon and concern over the Israeli escalation, demanding respect for international humanitarian law, the implementation of Resolution 1701, and a cease-fire. These countries also warned against attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

UNIFIL, which consists of around 9,500 soldiers from more than 50 countries, accused the Israeli army of "deliberately" targeting its positions, resulting in several injuries.

In parallel with the adoption of this resolution, the Lebanese Mission to UNESCO called for an extraordinary session of UNESCO's Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict to activate the enhanced protection provided by the 1954 Hague Convention for Lebanese archaeological sites.

The Lebanese mission also submitted a request to add an item on the protection of journalists in Lebanon to the agenda of the 34th session of UNESCO's International Programme for the Development of Communication, which is mandated to promote the safety of journalists.