Five years have passed since the explosion at the Beirut Port shattered lives and neighbourhoods and shocked the world. The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, today expressed solidarity with all those affected by the blast, many of whom continue to bravely pursue justice.

Following a meeting with families of several victims last week, the Special Coordinator stressed that progress in judicial proceedings is both necessary and long overdue. She stated, “Five years on, tragedy and pain are compounded by the glaring absence of justice. Survivors and victims, and their families, deserve full accountability. And, they deserve it now.”

Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert, while welcoming recent momentum in the investigation, alongside positive steps towards the strengthening of State institutions, underscored the need for the Government to take all necessary action to expedite progress in judicial proceedings related to the explosion. She also congratulated the Lebanese Parliament on the recent adoption of the Judicial Independence Law, hailing it as an important contribution to the rebuilding of trust between the Lebanese people and the institutions built to serve them.