January 29, 2002
The Security Council extended the UN force in south Lebanon for six months Monday and endorsed a recommendation by Secretary General Kofi Annan that it be cut from 3,700 to 2,000 troops by the end of the year. The 15 council members voted unanimously for a resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until July 31.
In a report go the council last week, Annan said the Lebanese government could do more to reassert its own authority over areas vacated by Israel 20 months ago after a 22-year occupation and subsequently occupied by Hezbollah guerrillas.
UNIFIL was set up in March 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces which had invaded the border region to set up a buffer zone against Palestinian guerrilla attack.
It was also charged with restoring international peace and security and helping the Lebanese authorities to regain control of the area. Annan noted that "UNIFIL, having essentially completed two of the three parts of its mandate, had effectively assumed the functions of an observer mission."
He recommended that its numbers be reduced by not replacing contingents as they completed their tour of duty, and said its strength should be stabilised at "close to 2,000 all ranks by the end of 2002".
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