United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)

[10 September 2021; 1500 hours]

Statement by Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti

Permanent Representative of India to the UN

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Madam President,

At the outset, I would like to thank Special Envoy Mr. Jan Kubis for his informative briefing.

There has been a sense of cautious optimism with regard to the situation in Libya over the last few months, especially since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement on 23 October 2020. The Council witnessed and welcomed the political progress achieved, including establishment of the Government of National Unity charged with the conduct of elections on 24 December 2021.

However, as we heard from the Special Envoy and noted from the report of the Secretary General, despite the progress, there are still causes for concern. The security situation remains fragile; the involvement of external forces in the internal affairs of Libya has negatively impacted the progress on the political track; and terrorist forces have been raising their heads once again in Libya.

Madam President,

We are not far from December, when all the stakeholders in Libya had agreed that elections should be held. As Libya embarks on its journey towards peace and stability, it is incumbent upon the international community and the Security Council, in particular, to continue to provide support to the country so that the political progress achieved in the country does not whittle away. In this regard, I would like to make the following suggestions:

One, elections need to be held as planned on 24 December 2021 in a free and fair manner. This point cannot be overemphasized since the very essence of Libya’s political progress hinges on this aspect. In order to achieve this, it is vital that the constitutional and legal basis for conducting elections is agreed upon early. We are happy to note the reports that House of Representatives is in the process of finalizing electoral law and call upon all the concerned parties to work together to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution at the earliest so that the elections can be held as scheduled. At the same time, we encourage the High National Elections Commission to continue to prepare for the upcoming elections.

Two, the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Libya needs to be safeguarded. The peace process must be fully Libyan-led and Libyan-owned with no imposition or external interference. We also encourage all Libyan parties to continue to make concerted efforts towards the unification of all national institutions.

Three, the provisions of the Ceasefire Agreement and successive Security Council resolutions need to be respected. Unfortunately, these provisions, in particular those related to the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries, continue to be violated. It is equally alarming that the arms embargo continues to be blatantly violated, as repeatedly reported by the Panel of Experts. There needs to be a serious discussion within this Council on what further measures could be taken to ensure that the decisions of the Council on withdrawal of foreign forces are implemented, so that sustainable peace and stability prevails in Libya.

Four, we must ensure that terrorist groups and affiliated entities are not allowed to operate unchallenged in Libya. The continued presence and activities of ISIL in Libya is of serious concern as highlighted by the recent report of the Secretary General. This is a matter of grave concern due to the potential cascading effect it could have throughout the Sahel region. It is unfortunate that the issue is not drawing the attention it deserves. The international community must speak in one voice against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Five, we need to plan for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of armed groups and non-state armed actors. We appreciate the fact that UNSMIL is prepared to render assistance to Libya in this process.

Six, an inclusive and comprehensive national reconciliation process is the need of the hour. We hope that all the parties concerned would engage sincerely in this endeavour. We also urge the international community to support such a process.

We are working closely with other Council members on the renewal of the mandate of UNSMIL. In this regard, we note the report of the Independent Strategic Review of UNSMIL and its recommendations, which will, among others, guide our thinking on the mandate.

To conclude, India has traditionally enjoyed close and mutually beneficial bilateral ties with Libya and we remain committed to supporting Libya and the Libyan people in their endeavour to bring about lasting peace in the country.

I thank you, Madame President.

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