A/RES/74/208
Oil slick on Lebanese shores
efforts to achieve sustainable development, as already highlighted by the General
Assembly in its resolutions 61/194, 62/188, 63/211, 64/195, 65/147, 66/192, 67/201,
68/206, 69/212, 70/194, 71/218, 72/209 and 73/224,
Noting that the Secretary-General expressed grave concern at the lack of any
acknowledgement on the part of the Government of Israel of its responsibilities vis à-vis reparations and compensation to the Government and people of Lebanon and
the Syrian Arab Republic affected by the oil spill,
Recalling that, in paragraph 5 of its resolution 73/224, it reiterated its request to
the Government of Israel to assume responsibility for prompt and adequate
compensation to the Government of Lebanon and other countries directly affected by
the oil slick, such as the Syrian Arab Republic, whose shores have been partially
polluted, and recognizing the conclusion of the Secretary-General that this request of
the General Assembly has yet to be implemented,
Acknowledging that the Secretary-General concluded that this oil spill is not
covered by any of the international oil spill compensation funds and thus merits
special consideration, and recognizing that further consideration n eeds to be given to
the option of securing the relevant compensation from the Government of Israel,
Acknowledging also the conclusions on measuring and quantifying the
environmental damage set out in the report of the Secretary-General, 4
Noting again with appreciation the assistance offered by donor countries and
international organizations for the clean-up operations and the early recovery and
reconstruction of Lebanon through bilateral and multilateral channels, including the
Athens Coordination Meeting on the response to the marine pollution incident in the
Eastern Mediterranean, held on 17 August 2006, as well as the Stockholm Conference
for Lebanon’s Early Recovery, held on 31 August 2006,
Acknowledging that the Secretary-General has welcomed the agreement of the
Lebanon Recovery Fund to host the Eastern Mediterranean oil spill restoration trust
fund, under its existing mechanism, and expressing concern that to date no
contributions have been made to the trust fund,
1.
Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General; 4
2.
Reiterates, for the fourteenth consecutive year, its deep concern about the
adverse implications of the destruction by the Israeli Air Force of the oil storage tanks
in the direct vicinity of the Lebanese Jiyah electric power pla nt for the achievement
of sustainable development in Lebanon;
3.
Considers that the oil slick has heavily polluted the shores of Lebanon and
partially polluted Syrian shores and consequently has had serious implications for
livelihoods and the economy of Lebanon, owing to the adverse implications for
natural resources, biodiversity, fisheries and tourism, and for human health in the
country;
4.
Acknowledges the conclusions in the report of the Secretary-General, in
which he stated that studies show that the value of the damage to Lebanon amounted
to 856.4 million United States dollars in 2014, and requests the Secretary -General to
urge United Nations bodies and agencies and other relevant organizations involved in
the initial assessment of the relevant environmental damage to undertake, within
existing resources, a further study, building on, inter alia, the initial work of the World
Bank presented in the report of the Secretary-General submitted to the General
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A/74/225.
19-22421