UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres attends at a press conference in Berlin after a meeting with the German foreign minister. AFP
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres attends at a press conference in Berlin after a meeting with the German foreign minister. AFP
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres attends at a press conference in Berlin after a meeting with the German foreign minister. AFP
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres attends at a press conference in Berlin after a meeting with the German foreign minister. AFP

Lebanon

UN to pick Polish ambassador as next envoy to Lebanon, reports say

Antonio Guterres informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Joanna Wronecka

Gareth Browne
Gareth Browne

March 30, 2021

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Poland’s Ambassador to the United Nations has reportedly been selected to be the organisation’s new envoy to Lebanon.

Diplomatic sources told AFP that UN Security General Antonio Guterres informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Joanna Wronecka as the organisation’s special co-ordinator for Lebanon. The source told the newswire there were no objections to her appointment.

She will replace Jan Kubis, the Slovak diplomat who was announced as the UN’s new envoy to Libya in January.

Ms Wronecka, 63, is an Arabist, having studied the language at University in Poland. She has spent decades working across the Middle East and North Africa.

Since 2017 she has been Poland’s permanent representative to the UN, where she has focused on reforming the UN Security Council.

She will be the seventh UN Special Co-ordinator for Lebanon.

Her appointment will be formally announced soon.

Ms Wronecka will arrive at a time when Lebanon faces the worst economic crisis in its history. Despite international partners urging Lebanon’s leaders to reform the economy, pass transparency legislation and form a new government to tackle the financial meltdown, little progress has been made as politicians bicker over the makeup of the next administration.

Lebanon's currency has lost more than 80 per cent of its value in the past year, more than half the population are now under the poverty line and unemployment is rising rapidly.

Lebanon protests  in pictures 

An anti-government protester shouts slogans as other demonstrators burn tyres to block the road during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, in front of Lebanese Central Bank at Hamra street in Beirut, Lebanon. EPA
An anti-government protester shouts slogans as other demonstrators burn tyres to block the road during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, in front of Lebanese Central Bank at Hamra street in Beirut, Lebanon. EPA
Riot police stands guard in front of Lebanese Central Bank during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Riot police stands guard in front of Lebanese Central Bank during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Riot police stands guard in front of Lebanese Central Bank during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Riot police stands guard in front of Lebanese Central Bank during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Anti-government protesters burn tyres and rubbish bins to block the road during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, in front of Lebanese Central Bank at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Anti-government protesters burn tyres and rubbish bins to block the road during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, in front of Lebanese Central Bank at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Anti-government protesters burn tyres and rubbish bins to block the main road leading to Hamra street during a rally against the power cuts the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, in Beirut. EPA
Anti-government protesters burn tyres and rubbish bins to block the main road leading to Hamra street during a rally against the power cuts the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, in Beirut. EPA
Riot police stands guard in front of Lebanese Central Bank during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Riot police stands guard in front of Lebanese Central Bank during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Riot police stands guard in front of Lebanese Central Bank during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Riot police stands guard in front of Lebanese Central Bank during a rally against the power cuts, the high cost of living and the low purchasing power of the Lebanese pound, at Hamra street in Beirut. EPA
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

Lebanon