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7927th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Libya
Political Accord Might Need ‘Limited’ Amendments, Says Permanent Representative, While Also Seeking Embargo Exemption for Army
Alarmed at the volatility and human rights situation in Libya, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative there cautioned today that the country risked a return to wide-spread conflict.
However, there could be no military solution, emphasized Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Briefing the Council on the Secretary-General’s latest report (document S/2017/283), he urged all armed actors to exercise restraint, to uphold their duties under international humanitarian law and human rights law, and to protect civilians. He also called on parties to follow the guidance of the Libyan Political Agreement.
“There is no plan B; there is no need for one,” he said, emphasizing that Libyans, as well as the international community, supported the Agreement. The fragility of Libya’s situation required the international community to move beyond a containment approach and past the fight against terrorism and migration, he said, explaining that those issues, alongside border security, were symptoms rather than root causes of the conflict. “It is time for the United Nations to take the lead again,” he said. “The women and men of Libya, its wise elders and its vibrant youth deserve a better life and they deserve it now.”
Underlining that history did not tolerate a power vacuum, he warned that gains made in the struggle against terrorist groups would be lost if some actors continued to destabilize institutions and civil society. Competition over control of national resources would trigger renewed violence. It was time to return to politics, address the core issues and return to the Political Agreement signed at Skhirat, Morocco. Libya would not solve its problems alone, he said, adding that its efforts must enjoy robust international support, “using antibiotics, not aspirin”. The Political Agreement must remain the framework for a negotiated settlement, he said, noting that efforts to draft amendments were under way.
Olof Skoog (Sweden), Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya, provided an update of that panel’s work since December 2016. On its agenda were, among other things, requests for exemption from embargoes and asset-freeze measures, and investigation of a report concerning two vessels illicitly attempting to export petroleum products.
In the ensuing discussion, Council members raised a range of concerns, including illegal arms flows, human rights abuses and recent clashes in Libya’s Oil Crescent. Many agreed that gains made in restoring oil production could be undermined in the absence of immediate action.
Egypt’s representative expressed appreciation for the efforts of Algeria and Tunisia, while noting that other regional actors had been playing a subversive role, as seen in a recent attack by extremist elements in the Oil Crescent. The Council must assume its responsibility in the face of such clear and explicit subversive actions, he said, emphasizing that eliminating the threat posed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and others would require a genuine national effort, a role that the national army was best placed to fulfil.
In similar vein, Ethiopia’s representative said the presence of sleeper cells affiliated with ISIL demonstrated the urgent need to create governmental institutions that would advance Libya’s struggle against terrorist groups. Indeed, the current situation could derail progress and plunge the country into a full-scale conflict, she warned, voicing concern at the suffering of refugees and migrants.
On Libya’s human rights situation, Senegal’s representative said that some reported incidents of trafficking could constitute war crimes. Moving forward, however, the current sanctions should be a means to restore stability rather than an end in itself, he said.
Delegates agreed that only a Libyan-led political process could pave the path to peace, with the representative of the United States emphasizing that the Political Agreement remained the sole road map to a democratic State. The progress realized must be protected and efforts to stabilize pockets of violence redoubled, delegates said, with Italy’s representative emphasizing the need to bolster Libya’s stabilization drive and the importance of robust international support.
The Russian Federation’s representative struck a divergent note, pointing out that the situation in Libya was not changing for the better, despite international efforts. Greater efforts would be needed to generate a clear understanding of the parameters for national reconciliation. The task going forward was to ensure that Libya did not fall apart, but instead returned to stability as an important regional player.
Libya’s representative reiterated the importance of an inclusive political solution to end divisions over the Political Agreement, while acknowledging that the accord might need “limited” amendments. Outlining the many challenges facing the Government, he cited its efforts to deliver basic services while endeavouring to fight terrorism, illegal migration and oil smuggling. He said the Libyan National Army and presidential guard should be exempted from the arms embargo, and urged the international community to provide the equipment they needed to carry out their duties.
Noting that Libya’s human rights situation remained a concern, he said it would be difficult to address it without a return to stability and without eliminating armed groups. He also underlined the principle of national ownership, calling for UNSMIL’s cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in preparing reports on matters outside the Mission’s mandate, such as illegal migration. It should also reflect its positions in writing, rather than over Twitter, which could inflame public opinion, he said.
Also speaking today were representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Uruguay, Japan, China, Sweden, Ukraine, Bolivia and Kazakhstan.
The meeting began at 10:05 a.m. and ended at 12:05 p.m.
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