JOINT STATEMENT BY ALGERIA, ARMENIA, AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA, BAHRAIN, BANGLADESH, BELGIUM, BRAZIL, BRUNEI, CAMBODIA, CANADA, CHINA, COLOMBIA, CROATIA, CYPRUS, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, DENMARK, EGYPT, EL SALVADOR, ESTONIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GHANA, GREECE, GUATEMALA, HUNGARY, INDONESIA, IRELAND, ITALY, JORDAN, LATVIA, LIBERIA, LUXEMBOURG, MALAYSIA, MALTA, MOLDOVA, MONGOLIA, MOROCCO, NEPAL, THE NETHERLANDS, NORTH MACEDONIA, PAKISTAN, PANAMA, THE PHILIPINES, POLAND, PORTUGAL, QATAR, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, ROMANIA, RUSSIA, SIERRA LEONE, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, SPAIN, SRI LANKA, SWEDEN, TANZANIA, THAILAND, TIMOR LESTE, TURKEY, UNITED KINGDOM, URUGUAY, ZAMBIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
New York, 9 April 2026
We, the troop-contributing countries to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), joined by several other Member States and the European Union, express deep concern over the escalation of tension in Lebanon since 2 March 2026 and its impact on the safety and security of peacekeepers. We condemn in the strongest terms the persistent attacks against UNIFIL, including the latest grave attacks which cost the lives of three Indonesian peacekeepers and injured several other peacekeepers from France, Ghana, Indonesia, Nepal and Poland. We also firmly condemn the unacceptable aggressive behaviour towards UNIFIL personnel and leadership recently observed.
We recall that peacekeepers must never be the target of attack and that attacks on them are prohibited while they enjoy protection under international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and may constitute a war crime. The safety and security of UN peacekeepers is non-negotiable, and we urge the UN and the Security Council to exert all tools available at its disposal to strengthen the protection of UN peacekeepers in an increasingly dangerous environment.
We reaffirm our full support for UNIFIL and its mandate, as set out in relevant Security Council resolutions, and urge all parties, under all circumstances, to take all measures to ensure the safety and security of peacekeeping personnel and premises, in accordance with international law.
We call on the UN to continue investigating all attacks against peacekeepers in a prompt, transparent and comprehensive manner, and keep the relevant troop-contributing country informed of the progress, consistent with Security Council resolutions 2518 (2020) and 2589 (2021). Those responsible for these attacks must be held accountable.
We express deep concerns over the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, especially the significant civilian casualties, the extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure and the mass displacement of more than one million people.
We call on parties to urgently return to the cessation of hostilities arrangement of 2024 and respect the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). We call for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, de-escalation of tensions, and for all parties to return to the negotiating table. We reiterate our strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of Lebanon.
We pay tribute to the dedication and service of all United Nations peacekeepers who risk their lives in the cause of international peace and security and express our deep appreciation to all troop-contributing countries.