In a letter to the Lebanese Prime Minister on 08 February 2007, the United Nations Secretary General announced his intention to appoint a Special Coordinator for Lebanon.

The post was originally established in the year 2000, based on the Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council, dated 20 July 2000 (S/2000/718) which expressed the intention to appoint a senior official to be based in Beirut to help coordinate United Nations activities with regard to Southern Lebanon, which was later expanded to cover all of Lebanon.

In his letter, the Secretary General mandates his Special Coordinator to represent him on all political and coordination aspects of the work of the United Nations in Lebanon.