Moment of Silence and Calls for Justice on Third Anniversary of Beirut Blast
On the third anniversary of the catastrophic Beirut Port explosion of 4 August 2020, representatives of the United Nations, the diplomat community in Lebanon and Lebanese and Lebanese authorities, led by UN Special Coordinator Joanna Wronecka and upon her invitation, observed a moment of silence at the Port of Beirut to remember the victims, express solidarity with their families and survivors, and reiterate the call for justice. Meanwhile, the International Support Group (ISG) for Lebanon, which is chaired by UNSCOL, issued a statement also expressing its solidarity with the families of the victims and with those severely affected by this tragic event. Lamenting the lack of progress in the judicial proceedings, the ISG called “on the Lebanese authorities to lift all obstacles hindering the pursuit of justice and facilitate the completion of an impartial, thorough and transparent investigation.” It also called on Parliament to accelerate the adoption of necessary legislation to strengthen the independence of the judiciary.