About United Nations Office of the Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL):

The United Nations works on multiple fronts to assist Lebanon in forging a peaceful, stable and democratic future. The Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) provides leadership and coordination to UN efforts in the country. The Beirut-based political mission of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) is headed by UN Special Coordinator Joanna Wronecka. The Special Coordinator is the Secretary-General’s representative to the Lebanese Government, all political parties and the diplomatic community based in the country, and exercises good offices on behalf of the Secretary-General and in furtherance of the conflict prevention agenda.

Implementing Security Council Resolution 1701

The July 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizbullah brought a new set of political, peacekeeping, and development challenges to Lebanon. Subsequently, the Secretary-General established in February 2007 the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon to represent him politically and to coordinate the work of the UN in the country. Among UNSCOL’s most important responsibilities is its assistance towards, and reporting on, implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) under which the fighting was halted in August 2006. The resolution called for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and gave a framework for a long-term solution. The resolution also calls for extension of State authority throughout the territory of Lebanon, including in southern Lebanon. In particular, resolution 1701 calls for the Government of Lebanon to maintain a monopoly on the use of force and weapons within the country. UNSCOL works closely with the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, which seeks to maintain the cessation of hostilities in its area of operations and along and across the Blue Line, the line of withdrawal for Israeli forces, while assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces to enhance its presence and capacity in southern Lebanon. UNSCOL is in constant dialogue with actors across the political spectrum in Lebanon, as well as between the parties Israel and Lebanon, and with regional and international partners.