UNSMIL: A3 Statement

Thank you Mr. President

I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of the A3, namely Gabon, Ghana and Kenya.

We thank Under Secretary General, Rosemary Di Carlo, and Amb. Tirumurti, Chair of the 1970 Committee and Dr. Jazia Jibril for their briefings and insightful perspectives on the situation in Libya. We also welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Libya.

Mr. President,

Listening to the people of Libya, we have repeatedly heard their keen desire for a secure environment in which to pursue their socio-economic and political aspirations. In the past one and a half years, they have made significant progress in their peace process.

Indeed, the current political stalemate in Libya as well as the reported increase in the movement of armed groups around Tripoli is concerning, since it threatens to erode the gains painstakingly attained including in other tracks of the peace process. It is important that the stalemate is quickly broken.

We therefore call for calm and restraint from all parties, and encourage them to utilise the mediation channels on offer by the United Nations, the African Union, neighbouring states and other partners of goodwill.

We acknowledge and support the desire of the people of Libya to hold elections. We salute them for registering in large numbers as voters. It is important that the elections are grounded in a constitutional framework that enjoys the widest possible consensus. We therefore propose that the efforts of the United Nations and international partners be focused on the following three imperatives:

First is National dialogue and reconciliation: The A3 has consistently underscored the importance of prioritising national dialogue and reconciliation as the only sustainable means of breaking the political stalemate.

It is important that national dialogue and reconciliation is mainstreamed into all stages and tracks and elements of the peace process, such as the unification of national institutions and the implementation of the Comprehensive Action Plan of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission of 8th October 2021.

We also urge that the process is inclusive of all stakeholders, including women and the youth, as an essential ingredient for ownership and acceptability of outcomes.

We encourage the Libyan people to use the support of the Secretary General's good offices, the African Union and other partners of good will in carrying out the national dialogue and reconciliation.

Secondly is a responsive UNSMIL mandate: The United Nations Support Mission in Libya has the mandate to support the Libya peace process. To empower the Mission to effectively respond to the demands of the peace process through its evolving phases, there is need to undertake the recommendations of the independent strategic review conducted last year. We encourage Members of this Council to work towards a consensus over these elements within a substantial mandate renewal for UNSMIL for a substantial period.

Thirdly is the need for safeguards against the spillover of instability into the region. The continued presence and activities in Libya of foreign fighters and mercenaries undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya and complicates the peace process.

Their presence also poses a threat to the Sahel region where they easily cross over through the expansive porous southern frontier. The withdrawal of those who came into Libya from the region will require close monitoring and coordination to ensure corresponding disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration in the countries of origin.

It is important that the DDR process be conducted in close coordination with the neighbouring states in liaison with relevant regional and sub-regional mechanisms with the support of the international community.

We must also point out that regional fragility wrought from the accumulation of foreign fighters and mercenaries and their arms creates a conducive environment for the growth of terrorism. It is therefore necessary to support Libya in building its counter-terrorism capacity.

Given the inextricable link between Libya, the Sahel and the wider region, we recommend that the Secretary General utilises the vast repository of African expertise within the top leadership of the United Nations support to advance dialogue between the parties and for closer coordination with the region.

Mr. President,

We reiterate our deep concern over the suffering of the thousands of migrants and refugees in Libya. The persistent interception and return to Libyan ports of migrants crossing the Mediterranean in search of a better life in Europe is not a sustainable solution. Neither is the application of resources to the establishment of inhumane holding areas for them in Libya.

We condemn the inhuman treatment they are subjected to on land and sea and call on all concerned to desist from such conduct. We also condemn the provision of resources and targeted information in support of such treatment. Those involved must abide by the relevant international laws and norms and cooperate with the international community in consideration of viable ways of addressing the root causes of this migration.

We make this recommendation as Europe shows her powerful and praiseworthy empathy for refugees from Ukraine. We now urge the European Union to extend the same compassion, in line with International Humanitarian Law, to Africans fleeing the security and climate crises that are only tangentially of their own making.

On the sanctions, Mr. President, we recall that all Libya's frozen assets are to be preserved and eventually returned to and for the benefit of the people of Libya. We therefore remind of the need for their protection from loss or misappropriation.

To the people of Libya,

We encourage you to stay the course for peace. Despite the temporary setbacks, you can build back even better and stronger. But to achieve a state of the nation that can deliver peace and prosperity to you and your descendants, you must all exercise flexibility and compromises, choosing to prioritise the collective interests of the country over parochial interests. We urge each of the parties to let go of some of your individual demands today for the sake of your collective gain tomorrow.

Finally, Mr. President, we reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Libya in pursuing a truly Libyan-led and owned peace process. We also reaffirm our respect for Libya's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Thank you.