Ban Defends Roed-Larsen, Says Implementation of 1701, 1559 Foundation of Stability
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has defended his special representative on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559, Terje Roed-Larsen, against criticism of bias and expansion of his mandate.
"My Special Representative on Security Council resolution 1559 enjoys my full confidence and trust, and he will continue his functions," Ban told a news conference in New York on Wednesday.
He said all his special representatives and envoys "conduct their missions strictly" under his "guidance and instructions."
The Loyalty to the Resistance Parliamentary bloc criticized Roed-Larsen on Wednesday and said he was not welcomed. The bloc added that the envoy”s latest report on the implementation of 1559 in which he wrote that Hizbullah”s arms were in violation of the resolution is a "scandal and brazen bias."
Syria has also recently said that Roed-Larsen is expanding his mandate and covering issues that are not related directly to his mission.
Ban told the news conference that the full implementation of resolutions 1701 and 1559 "is the foundation and basic principle of ensuring and maintaining peace and stability, as well as prosperity, not only in Lebanon, but in the region."
"We have seen many such cases where these resolutions have been violated, as we have seen recently over the last several weeks," he said.
The U.N. chief said he has been emphasizing and urging Israeli and Lebanese authorities to fully comply with these resolutions.
Ban also called on Israel to back the reconstruction of Gaza, deploring conditions there nearly a year after a devastating Israeli military offensive.
"Ten months after hostilities ended in Gaza, we see no progress on reconstruction or the re-opening of borders," he said at the news conference.
On Iraq, he said he was sending an envoy to the war-torn country following twin car bombings that killed at least 135 people in Baghdad at the weekend.
"In response to a request from the government of Iraq, I will send Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco to Iraq for preliminary consultations related to Iraq”s security and sovereignty," Ban said.