UNIFIL donates U.N. assets to Lebanon’s General Security

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today donated a number of UN assets, including vehicles and information technology equipment, to the General Directorate of the General Security of Lebanon.

The donation is in line with the existing cooperation between UNIFIL and the Lebanese Government’s military and other security institutions, as mandated by the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which forms the core of UNIFIL’s mandate.

In his remarks at a ceremony held at the UN Mission’s headquarters in south Lebanon, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary, said the significant donation is “a clear and important demonstration of the close and professional working relationship that exists between UNIFIL and the Directorate.”

“I sincerely hope that this equipment will facilitate the General Security in the important role they play in protecting the Lebanese state, its institutions and citizens,” said the UNIFIL head. “Such donations by UNIFIL are a clear example of the level of international support for Lebanon and its security agencies, as they continue to deal with the myriad of security threats that the country faces as a result of the ongoing conflict in Syria.”

Today’s donation of 11 vehicles and 278 information technology assets is the sixth in a series of donations by UNIFIL to the Directorate of General Security, dating back to 2011. It complements similar Strategic Dialogue donations to Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the LAF Intelligence since 2010. Last month, UNIFIL also donated various UN assets to the LAF and LAF Intel.

Speaking on behalf of Major General Abbas Ibrahim, the head of General Security, Colonel Fawzi Chamoun said the donation reinforced the agency’s long-standing partnership with UNIFIL. He also added that the agency will make the best use of the assets, especially in maintaining stability and prosperity in UNIFIL’a area of operations in south Lebanon.

Founded in 1921, the General Security of Lebanon is a key organ of the State with responsibility for, amongst other things, collecting and analyzing data for the government on political, economic and social issues, participating in judicial investigations, responding to threats to national security and securing Lebanon’s borders.

UNIFIL