UN special coordinator for Lebanon arrives in Beirut
Johan Verbeke, the newly appointed UN special coordinator for Lebanon, arrived in Beirut Wednesday to take up his functions as representative of the UN secretary general in Lebanon. Verbeke will begin his round of meetings with Lebanese officials this week.
According to a statement issued by the UN”s media office in Beirut, Verbeke will be responsible for coordinating the work of the UN in Lebanon and representing the UN chief on all political aspects of the organization”s work in the country. He will also be in charge of following up on the implementation of Resolution 1701.
Verbeke will also ensure that the activities of the UN Country Team are well coordinated with the Lebanese government, donors and international financial institutions in line with the overall objectives of the UN in Lebanon. Prior to his appointment, Verbeke served as the permanent representative of Belgium to the UN in New York since September 2004. In this capacity, he has, from January 1, 2007, served on the Security Council, as well as on the Peace-Building Commission. A career diplomat, Verbeke joined the Belgian Foreign Ministry in 1981 and has been posted in the Middle East (Lebanon and Jordan), Central Africa (Burundi) and South America (Chile as charge d”affaires), and served as deputy chief of mission in Washington from 1994-98.