Lebanon Chairs Security Council as Suleiman Heads to New York on Sept. 18
Lebanon took over the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council for this month, the second time since its council membership in January 2010.
Ambassador Nawwaf Salam told An Nahar daily published Friday that he was seeking to introduce “preventive diplomacy” to the agenda of the council. “This concept includes means and diplomatic measures taken in advance to prevent the eruption of conflicts or stop them from spreading.”
Last year, the council discussed the issue of dialogue between different cultures and the resolution of conflicts upon the request of the Lebanese mission during its first presidency of the Security Council.
Asked about the Palestinian bid to join the U.N. as a state, Salam said that Lebanon would be at the forefront of those backing the attempt.
“If any state proposed (the discussion) of the Syrian issue, we hold onto the rules and procedures mentioned in the Security Council’s by-laws and we would implement them,” he told An Nahar.
Lebanon’s role as Security Council president this month comes as President Michel Suleiman addresses the 66th General Assembly session on Sept. 2. Suleiman is also scheduled to chair a council meeting on preventive diplomacy on Sept. 22, An Nahar said.
He is expected to travel to New York on Sept. 19 or 20.
As Safir daily said that in his address to the assembly, Suleiman will stress the right of Palestinians to establish and independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. He will also reject their naturalization and call for the return of refugees to their home state.
Official sources also denied to al-Liwaa newspaper that Suleiman will chair a Council meeting on Sept. 20 during which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will ask for the agency to approve his bid for a Palestinian state.
That session will be chaired by Salam, they said.
The president is scheduled to hold a series of talks with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and several heads of state during his visit to New York.
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