The embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US) have welcomed in a joint statement the Security Council briefing by UNSMIL Officer-in-Charge Stephanie Koury on 16 December 2024 setting out UNSMIL’s proposed approach to advancing the political process in Libya.
“We strongly support inclusive efforts towards a political agreement that can reverse institutional fragmentation, unify the government and more broadly the country, and establish a credible pathway towards inclusive, free, fair and transparent presidential and parliamentary elections, in line with the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people and consistent with Security Council resolutions.” The statement reads.
It adds that the countries stand ready to do all they can to ensure the success of these efforts, and they encourage all Libyan stakeholders to engage in the UN process in good faith and in a spirit of compromise.
“We also call on all relevant parties to refrain from any parallel and uncoordinated initiatives, which risk undermining UN-led efforts. We reaffirm our commitment to preserving Libya’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The statement explains.
During her briefing on Monday, Koury talked about her plan to end the current political stalemate in Libya, saying the plan included forming a technical committee of Libyan experts to develop options to address the controversial issues in the electoral laws, and options for how to reach elections in the shortest possible time, including the proposed guarantees, reassurances and timeframe.
She called on Libyan leaders to agree on a unified budget to control public spending in 2025, noting that the current local situation and regional developments necessitate reaching a permanent political settlement in Libya.
