In early October, Under-Secretary-General for UN Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix concluded a multi-country visit to peacekeeping missions across the Middle East. Visiting Lebanon, Syria, Jerusalem and Jordan, USG Lacroix reaffirmed the United Nations’ strong commitment to supporting peace and stability in the region.
During his three-day visit to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), USG Lacroix met with Lebanese officials and UNIFIL leadership and peacekeepers, reiterating the mission’s commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) which calls for the permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and the restoration of Lebanese government authority in southern Lebanon. The visit also included briefings on UNIFIL’s drawdown and planned withdrawal at the end of 2026, including options after the mission's departure which are yet to be decided upon by the Security Council.
"The Lebanese authorities have been very clear that they think there needs to be this third party – the UN – avoiding unattended escalation and incidents spiraling out of control,” said M. Lacroix during his visit to Naqoura, where the situation remains volatile. “They are very clear about the concern that they have if they don't have that UN presence anymore: what about the Blue Line? What about support to the communities who are still living in the South? [Ultimately] it's about peace, sovereignty of Lebanon [and] the whole region,” he added, as the Mission’s mandate expires on 31 December.
USG Lacroix also thanked UNIFIL peacekeepers “for their dedication and courage in these particularly challenging times,” and paid tribute “to the service and sacrifice of the peacekeepers who lost their lives in the service of peace with the mission this year.” A total of seven peacekeepers serving with the Mission have lost their life in the exercise of their duties since the start of the year.
In Jordan, USG Lacroix had the opportunity to thank officials for their long-term support to UN peacekeeping, including through troop and police contributions, in addition to the country’s efforts in advancing peace and stability in the region.
During the trip, USG Lacroix also visited Syria to meet with the leadership and representatives of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).
UNDOF helps to supervise disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces, as per the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. It maintains the ceasefire and monitors and observes the area of separation and the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria.
USG Lacroix thanked peacekeepers for their critical work on the Golan and underscored the importance of the UN’s partnerships, including with Member States, to “invest in peace to help the mission address growing challenges.”
There, he also traveled to the Observation Post 58 and UN Position 86B, where peacekeepers serving with UNDOF and the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) are jointly deployed. UN military observers showed him how a digital tool, Unite Aware, helps them gather data on ceasefire violations to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel forces and helps improve operational planning. The deployment of Unite Aware, which was made possible thanks to support from several Member States, allows the mission to gather a vast amount of information and easily visualize, analyze and synthesize it into comprehensive reports that help improve mandate implementation.
On his last stop on his Middle East visit, the Head of UN Peacekeeping stopped at the UNTSO headquarters in Jerusalem, where he met with the mission's leadership and staff.
