France's Lebanon aid conference challenged by empty seats, pessimism
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The aid conference France is hosting for Lebanon appears to be another empty effort, with major key players absent or grim.
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French President Emmanuel Macron gestures Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP)
France will kickstart its aid conference for Lebanon on Thursday, not only to raise millions in relief aid but also to navigate the diplomatic process for the war-ridden country.
However, the process seems to be prone to challenges due to the absence of key players, which furthers any political breakthrough to halt the Israeli aggression that has killed over 2,500 civilians and displaced at least a million others.
According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, 70 countries and 15 international organizations are expected to attend. As cited by French broadcaster RTL on Wednesday, Barrot noted that "everyone we invited said yes."
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati will attend following talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who will also be opening the conference.
"The [French] president is doing his job by organising a summit to show that he's not abandoning the people of Lebanon, but I don't expect much from it," said Agnes Levallois, the vice president of France's Iremmo Middle East research institute.
Hasni Abidi of the Geneva-based Cermam centre on the Arab world, on the other hand, had a more optimistic outlook, saying it was the only diplomatic endeavor underway since France and the United States pushed for a temporary ceasefire in September.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock confirmed that she would attend the Paris conference to discuss finding a solution with both Berlin's international partners, Western and Arab, to the current conflict, during a visit to Beirut.
Baerbock further stated that it was "urgent to ensure, in coming days and weeks, that aid for the people of Lebanon arrives directly," adding that the war "cannot be resolved by military means alone."
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell described the meeting as a crucial opportunity to rally urgent political and economic assistance for the Lebanese people and to uphold the country’s sovereignty.
Objectives of the conference
On Thursday, Barrot emphasized that the primary goal is to reaffirm the necessity of a ceasefire, seek a diplomatic solution, and put an end to hostilities. France aims to "garner humanitarian aid from as many nations as possible," he added.
Macron's office announced Wednesday that the conference aims to raise funds for a $400 million UN appeal to assist Lebanese displaced by the war.
Karim Bitar, an international relations expert at Beirut's Saint-Joseph University, commented that in Lebanon, "the needs are so vast that even if the aid totalled hundreds of millions of dollars, you could cynically see it as a sort of palliative care."
On the diplomatic front, France seeks to reinstate UN Security Council resolution 1701, which marked the conclusion of the war in 2006. This resolution mandates that the only armed forces present on Lebanon's southern border with occupied Palestine should be UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army.
Reinstating 1701 would "allow us to guarantee Lebanese sovereignty and unity on the one hand and on the other to give security guarantees to Israel," Barrot stated.
'Committing to 1701 is not enough'
US envoy Amos Hochstein stated, on Monday, that "the US wants to end the war completely, and we need to reach a formula to put an end to this conflict once and for all."
He emphasized the importance of ensuring that all parties involved in the war recognize the need for the implementation of Resolution 1701, highlighting that significant progress is still required to meet the expectations set by this resolution.
He further asserted that it is crucial to take steps to ensure its enforcement moving forward.
"Both sides simply committing to (UN resolution) 1701 is not enough," Hochstein stressed.
"We are working with the government of Lebanon, the state of Lebanon, as well as the government of Israel, to get to a formula that brings an end to this conflict once and for all," he added.
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