Highlighting the recent solution to the Central Bank of Libya crisis and the resumption of oil production, the United Nations' senior official in that country urged Libyan authorities' and the Organization's continued engagement to unite the still fragmented Government and to forge a path toward national reconciliation and unity.
Stephanie Koury, Deputy Special Representative and Political Officer for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), recalling various Libyan factions' destabilizing unilateral decisions earlier this year, detailed positive developments since her last briefing. Those include the 2 October assumption into office of a new Central Bank of Libya Governor and Deputy Governor and the 3 October announcement of the National Oil Corporation's lifting of the force majeure, thereby enabling the full resumption of oil operations and exports. Commending the constructive engagement of the House of Representatives, the High Council of State and the Presidential Council and other Libyan leaders in finding a solution to the Central Bank crisis, she said further steps remain to be taken, starting with the appointment of a Board of Directors.
"Regrettably, other actions continue to fuel divisions," she noted, including, among others, the dispute over the authority to adjudicate on constitutional matters. The task at hand is paving the way to a comprehensive political solution, which addresses the current division of State institutions, the need for a unified Government and the restoration of democratic legitimacy through elections. Detailing other challenges, including human rights violations across the country, she spotlighted positive developments in preparation for elections scheduled in November and the start of cooperation between UNSMIL and Libyan authorities on strengthening human rights standards. Stressing that "the status quo in Libya has persisted for too long and is unsustainable," she urged Council support in advancing an inclusive political process in the coming weeks and moving towards national elections. "The Libyan people deserve better," she declared.
Addressing the Council via video conference, Hala Bugaighis of the Libyan Women, Peace and Security Advisory Group recalled the women who were killed while standing up for their rights. Restrictions on women's movements and on civil society organizations and the systematic targeting of women human rights defenders, particularly online, are continuing. More so, "women were notably absent from the ceasefire agreement negotiations, and thus excluded from key discussions regarding protection of human rights and security sector reform," she reported, urging UNSMIL to do more to ensure women's participation in all decision-making processes related to the ceasefire arrangements.
Detailing further the absence of women's meaningful participation in reconciliation efforts and representation in Government, she pointed to the "false sense of political stability" and noted that "efforts to activate the national reconciliation process remain constrained by the interests of both national and international actors". The safeguarding of victims' rights to justice, accountability and reparation, as well as their guaranteed meaningful participation in transition processes, were needed. Further, she called on the Security Council to, among others, urgently appoint a new Special Representative of the Secretary-General of UNSMIL to facilitate Libya's transition to a democratic State, renew UNSMIL's mandate for a full 12 months and demand that all actors end intimidation and attacks against women civil society and political activists.
Also briefing the Council was the representative of Japan, Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya, who presented its report for the period from 21 August to 9 October 2024, including its activities related to the arms embargo and assets freeze and its consideration of the interim report of the Panel of Experts.
In the ensuing discussion, Council members welcomed the agreement reached on the Central Bank of Libya and the resumption of crude oil production, with several outlining critical next steps. Among them was the representative of Mozambique, also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Sierra Leone, who stressed that the successful implementation of the agreement on the Central Bank of Libya will be crucial for the country's economic and political future. Urging relevant institutions to work together, he underlined the urgency of appointing the Bank's Board of Directors, accelerating financial arrangements and establishing a unified national budget.
The Central Bank crisis has demonstrated that "the status quo is ever more unstable", the United Kingdom's representative pointed out. While welcoming the agreement for the appointment of the new Governor, she underlined the need for stakeholders to swiftly agree on a Board of Directors that is credible, competent and free from political influence. Also needed were transparent operations and for all actors to rebuild the Central Bank's legitimacy and credibility, especially with international institutions.
Echoing that, the United States' representative called for a robust implementation of the deal that brought an end to the leadership dispute that had damaged the Central Bank's reputation and undermined the international financial system's confidence in it. The swift appointment of a new technocratic qualified Board of Directors would enable the Bank to implement much-needed reform and enact monetary policy to stabilize the Libyan economy, in line with the International Monetary Fund's Article IV report. He also called for an east-west budget to be drawn up to enable the equitable distribution of the country's oil revenue.
Council members were near-unanimous in expressing support for UNSMIL's role in facilitating a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process and promoting a peaceful resolution to current challenges, ahead of its mandate renewal at the end of the month, with some speakers, including Switzerland's representative, Council President for October, who spoke in his national capacity, encouraging the Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative as soon as possible.
While echoing that call, the Russian Federation's representative observed that without the appointment of a new UNSMIL head, "we cannot agree to extend the UNSMIL mandate for a long period". Echoing other speakers' concerns about the dual power structure in Libya and the political impasse, he said an inclusive political process should finalize work on the modalities for the presidential parliamentary elections and a unified Government. The international community must help in that endeavour, without imposing "artificial timelines or foreign recipes" but by facilitating a genuine dialogue between Libyan protagonists.
Similarly, China's representative underscored that the international community should continue to support efforts to seek African solutions to African problems. Strengthened dialogue and consultation were needed to break the political impasse. "The peaceful reconciliation of Libya is now at a critical stage," he emphasized, calling for the withdrawal as soon as possible of external armed forces and mercenaries in a smooth and orderly manner. About the Council's forthcoming consideration of the UNSMIL mandate renewal, China was ready to engage constructively and work toward consensus, he said.
Many speakers underscored the still fragile situation on the ground and the need to relaunch a political process, with the representative of France noting that positive recent steps to resolve the crisis involving the Central Bank were not enough. The deadlocked political process was fuelling insecurity and instability, following the indefinite postponement of presidential and legislative elections in 2021. The political process needed to be relaunched to form a unified Government and allow for simultaneous elections to be held, according to the will of the Libyan people.
Slovenia's delegate, highlighting the visit undertaken to Libya last month by Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and her engagement with a wide variety of interlocutors, echoed her sentiment that credible, inclusive national elections are the only way to end the political deadlock and achieve a durable peace. In that context, the preparations for the holding of local elections are an important step in the democratic process, she said.
Similarly, Ecuador's delegate appealed to parties to resolve pending issues through dialogue, given the worsening political and security situation. This would pave the way for unifying institutions and restoring their legitimacy, a goal that could only be achieved through a political process and unified Government that respects civic space, and can hold fair, free and transparent elections that guarantee the participation of women and youth. However, any reconciliation process must have accountability as one of its pillars, he added.
The representatives of the Republic of Korea and Japan were among speakers who spotlighted the "shocking" report issued by UNSMIL and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) detailing mass graves, large-scale human rights violations and abuses committed in Tarhuna, between 2013 and 2022. The latter also voiced support for the International Criminal Court Pre‑Trial Chamber's granting the Prosecutor's request to unseal six arrest warrants issued on the matter. "These crimes are not merely events in Libya's past," he said. Adding to that, Malta's delegate stressed: "We need to ensure that all Libyans can enjoy their fundamental human rights."
Taking the floor, the representative of Libya reported that his country was never formally informed by the Sanctions Committee of correspondence it received requesting permits or exceptions related to frozen assets and the Libyan Investment Authority. Recalling the Chair's desire to update working methods, he appealed to the Committee to formally inform Libya of such correspondence. He also recalled the last Council briefing, reporting that the situation in his country remains the same, and that to date "there is no real progress in the political process".
Increasing regional and international crises have had a negative impact on the situation in Libya and on the Council and its priorities, he observed. He urged the Council, among other things, to respect the Libyan Political Agreement and to put an end to some individuals' or countries' attempts to deepen the political divide. Also needed was support for national political processes to resolve pending issues on elections, end the deadlock and organize elections under UN supervision. Noting that he was looking ahead to the African Union's visit, he called on the international community to support the reconciliation process and help resolve issues toward rebuilding trust among Libyans.
