Joint Statement by the Quartet on Libya

By Sami Zaptia.

London, 21 April 2021:

A Joint Statement was issued by the Quartet of the League of Arab States, the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union yesterday. It read as follows:

1. At the invitation of the League of Arab States, the Sixth Meeting of the Libya Quartet was held on 20 April 2021 between the League of Arab States (LAS), the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU).
2. The Meeting was convened virtually and attended by the Secretary General of the League of Arab States Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. António Guterres, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission Mr. Josep Borrell, and Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission who represented the Chairperson of the AU Commission Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat.
3. The Quartet took stock of the overall situation in Libya in light of the recent political, security and economic developments and strongly welcomed the significant progress towards advancing an inclusive and comprehensive political solution to the situation in the country.
4. They applauded, in particular, the important outcomes of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) which was convened under the auspices of the United Nations, the adoption of the Roadmap for the Preparatory Phase of a Comprehensive Solution, the vote of confidence by the House of Representatives to grant its confidence to the new Government of National Unity (GNU), and the smooth transfer of power to the new interim executive authority under the leadership of President Mohammad Menfi and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeiba.
5. The Quartet expressed their full support for the efforts of the Presidency Council, Government of National Unity and other unified national institutions to implement the LPDF Roadmap and successfully complete Libya’s democratic transition. They also encouraged the GNU and other relevant institutions to uphold their commitment to appoint women in at least 30 percent of senior executive positions, and to promote national, rights-based reconciliation throughout the country. They recalled, in this context, the importance of organizing an inter-Libyan national reconciliation conference, in line with the Conclusions of the Berlin Conference.
6. The Quartet reiterated their commitment to support all Libyan-led and Libyan-owned efforts towards achieving these goals, and resolved for this purpose to pursue their efforts in a coordinated and complementary manner under the UN-facilitated political process, including through the International Follow-up Committee on Libya of the Berlin Process and its four Working Groups.
7. The Quartet also expressed their full support for the conduct of the national elections set for 24 December 2021 and welcomed the explicit commitment of the new Libyan leadership to uphold this goal. They recognized the importance of holding these elections on the basis of an agreed legal and constitutional framework and encouraged the relevant authorities including the House of Representatives to take the actions set out in the LPDF Roadmap.
8. The Quartet reiterated their support for the role of the High National Elections Commission in undertaking the necessary preparations for the presidential and parliamentary elections, and exchanged views on the coordinated support and assistance that they may provide throughout the electoral process, including through the possible deployment of AU, EU and LAS observer missions at the request of Libya’s authorities and if the requisite conditions on the ground permit.
9. They emphasized the importance of conducting these elections in a favorable political and security environment so that they are held in an inclusive, transparent and credible manner and where all Libyans commit to respect their results and integrity.
10. The Quartet called upon the GNU, other Libyan authorities and the 5 + 5 Joint Military Commission (JMC), to expedite their efforts towards full implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement of 23 October 2020, including security arrangements and confidence-building measures to achieve peace and security throughout the country. They underlined the importance of the JMC further developing its plans for a robust, credible and effective Libyan Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanism, and welcomed the efforts to establish an UNSMIL ceasefire monitoring component in support of this Mechanism. They expressed their support for these efforts and readiness to contribute to these arrangements in line with the UN Security Council resolutions and in view of the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General.
11. The Quartet condemned the continued violations of the UN arms embargo and emphasized that all external military intervention in Libya is unacceptable. They called in this regard for full compliance with the arms embargo and the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from the entirety of Libya’s territory in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and in a manner that fully restores Libya’s sovereignty and preserves its national unity, independence and territorial integrity.
12. They further underlined the urgent need to reach a comprehensive and durable solution to the threat posed by armed groups and militias, and called for the sustained implementation of measures to fully identify and dismantle these groups, and ensure the subsequent reintegration of those individuals meeting the requirements into national institutions as outlined in the Ceasefire Agreement. They emphasized the importance of implementing these programs and measures without delay, including with a view to safeguarding the security and integrity of the electoral process throughout the country.
13. The Quartet equally welcomed the key outcomes of the economic track, including and in particular, the unification of the Board of Directors of the Libyan Central Bank, the devaluation of the Libyan dinar and the presentation of a unified 2021 budget for the GNU, and called for further sustained national efforts to support Libya’s full economic recovery.
14. The Quartet underlines the importance of the unification of Libya’s institutions; good governance and improved economic performance, including through agreement on a unified budget; and the swift agreement on sovereign positions, as set out in the LPDF Roadmap.
15. The AU, UN, LAS and EU agreed to continue their consultations and coordination on the situation in Libya and decided to convene the next meeting of the Quartet during the second half of 2021.