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By Sami Zaptia.
London, 11 September 2020:
Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General (ASRSG) and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Williams yesterday warmly welcomed the outcomes of the consultations amongst key Libyan stakeholders that took place in Montreux in Switzerland under the auspices of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and in the presence of UNSMIL between 7-9 September.
Need for a quick and peaceful solution all the more urgent
Williams sincerely thanked the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue team for their tireless efforts in organizing this meeting that she said has come at a decisive turning point in the long search for a comprehensive solution to the Libyan crisis. The deteriorating socio-economic conditions in Libya, which have been exacerbated by the grinding conflict, the alarming rise in COVID cases, the lack of services and electricity and water shortages, in addition to the continuing oil blockade, make the need for a quick and peaceful solution all the more urgent, she added.
UNSMIL commended the goodwill and national dedication of the Libyan participants who seized this opportunity to put aside their longstanding differences and disputes to recommend a Libyan-Libyan solution that can be put on the table for the early resumption of the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum.
These consultations were organized following the August 21 parallel ceasefire declarations of President of the Presidency Council Fayez Sarraj and Speaker of the House of Representatives Ageela Saleh and provide a basis for all responsible Libyan stakeholders to forge the way forward, it added.
UNSMIL noted constitutional elections in 18-months, Presidency Council reform
UNSMIL noted the consensual view of the participants in the Montreux consultations that Presidential and Parliamentary elections must be held at the end of an 18-month period on the basis of an agreed constitutional framework. This period would be initiated by the reformation of the Presidency Council, the establishment of a representative unity government dedicated to providing services and creating the necessary conditions for the holding of national elections, including implementing the Parliament-approved Amnesty Law and facilitating the return of displaced persons and those in the diaspora as a necessary step for much-needed national reconciliation.
UNSMIL welcomes temporary move of government and HoR to Sirte, encouraged discussions on the issue of sovereign positions, called for needed electoral framework within a set timeline.
UNSMIL welcomed the participants’ proposal of moving key government functions and offices, such as the executive and the House of Representatives, on a temporary basis, to Sirte, following the implementation of the appropriate security and logistical arrangements. It encouraged the House of Representatives and High State Council to continue their discussions on the issue of sovereign positions and we call on them to produce the needed electoral framework within a set timeline.
UNSMIL to launch the fully inclusive Libyan Political Dialogue Forum
Building on these and other consultations, including those underway in Morocco, and following weeks of extensive talks with key Libyan and international stakeholders, UNSMIL said it will now launch the arrangements needed to resume the fully inclusive Libyan Political Dialogue Forum with an announcement to be forthcoming. It called upon the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to support this process and to unequivocally respect the Libyan people’s sovereign right to determine their future.
