YouSaid · the spoken record

Salamé

lines on the record: 281
first: 2017-08-28
most recent: 2020-01-30
sittings or episodes: 15
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It should not be a reason for more division, feuds or tension. The Mission will conclude its consultations with the widest array of Libyans possible in order to set an appropriate timetable for the people to democratically express their will, in either a referendum or national elections. I look forward to conveying the proposal at my next briefing to the Council. At the conception of the action plan, the amendment of the Libyan Political Agreement was requested by various Libyan interlocutors. We have tried over and over to explore different formulas, reconcile various opinions and find means to accommodate ambitions. However, the parties are unwilling to make the necessary concessions. In my previous briefing to the Council (see S/PV.8211), I stated that we would allow a last chance for the amendments to come to pass, and they have not.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“The Constitutional Drafting Assembly was democratically chosen in free and fair elections. Its proposal enjoys the legal majority required under the constitutional declaration, and a majority of the Assembly's votes from each of Libya's three historical regions. We have assisted the Assembly in its outreach efforts to the Libyan people and the international community. However, with respect to the current draft of the Constitution, Libyan views dramatically diverge. While many are keen to proceed directly to a referendum, others are dissatisfied with the text and call for its amendment, a return to a previous constitution, or specific guarantees, insisting that otherwise they will strongly oppose the very organization of the referendum. The adoption of a constitution is a crucial moment in the life ofa nation.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“That has fuelled the people's call for elections, which has been heard increasingly loudly and clearly, through the voter registration update, within opinion polling and, now, during the national conference meetings. While elections must be held as soon as possible, the proper conditions must be place. A new round of voter registration, prior commitment to accepting the results and appropriate funds and strong security arrangements are needed. Nolessimportant,theHouse ofRepresentativesmust deliver on its promise to produce electoral legislation for all forms of electoral events, in consultation with the High State Council. Those laws must be produced in a manner that makes them acceptable to the majority of the population. We are ready to provide immediate advice in line with international practice.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“There is a strong desire for unified State institutions, working transparently with leaders selected based on their competency, not their identity, as well as for a unified, professional military and a coherent security apparatus, free from political interference and operating under clearly defined rules. The people also want elections that can unite the country. Finally, there is a very clear longing to emerge from transition. That is why the advancement of the political process is so vital. At the core of the public mood is a strong desire for a renewal of the political scene, the assertion of local power and a return to a more normal life with more regular institutions.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“Once the meetings conclude, at the end of June, the findings will be collected and shared at a special event in Libya, as well as with the Council. Some points of consensus from this large inclusive consultative process held in the various cities and towns have begun to crystallize. There is a yearning for a united and sovereign nation and a common belief that, to achieve that, the State must be decentralized. There is an urgent need for a fairer, more transparent and effective distribution of public resources for the benefit of all citizens.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“Cities have reached out to demand their own events. Local communities and officials have volunteered to organize their events. Even in the warring city of Sabha, the parties to the conflict called a temporary truce so that the city could hold its National conference. Special events are being held to focus on the concerns of women, youth and internally displaced persons. By the end of the process, events will have been held in over 40 locations for communities in Libya and residing abroad. I commend the thousands of people who chose to join the meetings, as well as the municipalities and institutions that hosted them. I also thank the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which organized the process. This series of events is the national conference: not a forum for select elites, but for all people.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“Forty-two similar events have taken place in twenty- seven locations across the country since the process was launched in April. Opening with simultaneous events in the eastern city of Benghazi and the western city of Zwara, the national conference has spanned the country. Meetings have been held from Tripoli to Shahat, the western Nafusa mountains to the eastern Green mountains, the south-west border town of Ghat to the town of Qatrun in the extreme south - all without a single security incident recorded. Libyans from all political stripes and segments of society gathered to enter the political conversation, many for the first time, with an enthusiasm that could not have been predicted. They have made it their own. After holding its national conference, Benghazi established 30 committees to follow-up.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“I have submitted a plan to implement the 2016 Misrata-Tawergha agreement. We are still pushing for its implementation. Beyond the Tawergha case, I would point to the more than 300,000 internally displaced persons of different political persuasions who long to go back to homes, in Benghazi or other cities. They were compelled to flee because of fighting or hostility from neighbours with whom they have lived for centuries. The last city I shall note is the oasis of Ghadames, where citizens came together to paint the old town square in preparation for their national conference event. Citizens shared their aspirations for their State and the principles that should guide it, their vision for a way out of the current crisis.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“Libyans have come to rely upon their mayors and municipalities for essential basic services, who in turn struggle to obtain the necessary resources to meet their needs. Hence the importance of the renewal of local leadership. The United Nations supported that election, both politically and materially, and shall do so for the forthcoming elections. Another city I will mention is Tawergha. That is a city that lost its inhabitants after a very serious conflict with the neighbouring city of Misrata. The inhabitants should have come back on 1 February, according to the plan of the Government of National Accord. They were forcibly prevented from doing so. Many have had to stay without cover, under rain and now under heavy sun. United Nations agencies have done much to make their conditions bearable.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“The Sabha case demonstrates the need for Libya to work with southern neighbouring States to secure its borders and resolve the matters of human trafficking, the flows of fighters and the smuggling of goods. On a more positive note, 40 kilometres to the west of Tripoli, on 12 May, the city of Zawiya, the fourth- largest in Libya, conducted the first municipal council election since 2015. In an open and competitive race, the local community, supported by the Municipal Election Committee, worked to ensure a peaceful and organized process, with national observers in every polling centre. That successful election marks the start of a series of municipal polls that will take place across the entire country.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“Besides being the main city in Libya's southern region, Sabha is a source of specific concern because, first, many agreements to stop the fighting among the groups there have been signed and then subsequently and repeatedly violated; secondly, there is a serious risk that those clashes will deteriorate into an ethnic conflict; and, thirdly, because that conflict has the potential to become regional, given that armed groups originating from many neighbouring countries have too easily transformed that part of Libya as their alternative battle ground. We therefore support rapid negotiations between Libya and its southern neighbours, and we are wholeheartedly prepared to facilitate them if need be.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“We have formally offered - and do so once more now - the Mission's good offices to de-escalate the conflict. To the south, the city of Sabha has also suffered an alarming escalation in armed clashes. Fighting for control of strategic locations has led to rising fatalities, including many civilian casualties. The city's main hospital has been the subject of direct attacks, putting the infirm at risk. In that regard, as in every instance where civilians are at risk, we stress to all parties their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“Haftar announced an offensive by the Libyan National Army. Numerous civilians have been killed, while aid and medical access have been severely limited. Hundreds of families have been displaced. So far, most of the fighting has taken place on the outskirts of the city. We are concerned that, if it proceeds to the urban areas, civilians will be in even greater danger. I urgently call on all parties to exercise restraint and to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians, and I strongly advise that the Council do likewise. The United Nations is working hard to address the humanitarian situation and is preparing in case the conflict worsens, and requests all actors to permit unfettered humanitarian access and safe passage for civilians out ofthe area.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“However, despite the tragic loss of many staff and the need to move to a new premises after the suicide explosion damaged the building, its Chair has stressed the continued readiness of the High National Elections Commission to conduct elections. The perseverance ofthe Commission in the face of such adversity deserves our admiration. However, there have also been positive developments in the city. The elections for the presidency of the High State Council were conducted on time, peacefully and democratically, bringing an entirely new leadership to the institution, while reminding all that official positions are only temporary. More important for Libyan citizens, the Government of National Accord has agreed the 2018 budget. To the east, the city of Derna has been subject to escalating ground, air and artillery assault since 7 May, when Mr.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“Mr. Salame: Allow me to congratulate Poland upon its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council this month. I am grateful for this opportunity to brief the Council on our work in Libya. There are various ways to look at Libya, a country of some 1.5 million square kilometres. From one city to another, one finds cause for concern as well as reasons for hope. Although many cities and towns merit mention, I shall cite just a few, beginning with the capital. This month Tripoli was struck by tragedy. On 2 May, a murderous attack on the headquarters of the High Commission for National Elections claimed 13 lives. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and was an attempt to derail the electoral process.”
2018-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8263 (2018) · source
“The bullets are still flying. The other day I was told that this was just normal. For the sake of the Libyan people, for whom we in the United Nations work, we must refuse to accept this normality.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“One aspect of the action plan was the amendment to the Libyan Political Agreement. When I joined the Mission, almost all stakeholders I met requested that the matter be included in the action plan. The appointment of a new executive would have been useful, but only if chosen in an open manner that promoted national unification and strengthened the Government's ability to serve the country for the limited transition. I now believe that they have little chance of being passed. The action plan does not depend on these amendments, and certainly the closer Libya is to elections, the less relevant these amendments become. However, starting tomorrow, I shall commence a new and possibly final attempt to realize these amendments. In my first briefing from Tripoli, I reported that there was a consistent staccato of bullets overhead.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“There are signs of a looming monetary and fiscal crisis. Although now high, oil revenues are vulnerable to underinvestment and sabotage. Financial institutions are divided. Government expenditure is bloated and continues to increase, but thus far increased spending has not led to improved services. Overall, the State's inability to provide services and implement the reforms needed creates a dangerous vicious cycle. It strengthens the self-righteous arguments of others who claim they are stepping in to fill the vacuum left by the absence of the State. In turn, the activities of those individuals and groups undermine the ability of the State itselfto fulfil its obligations. For many Libyans that abnormal state of affairs has become the new normal. The vicious cycle must stop.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“Libya's finances remain precarious. Despite the country now producing well over 1 million barrels of oil a day and generating rosy macroeconomic indicators, it does not enjoy true economic recovery. Instead, Libyan people become poorer every year. Women from the once wealthy Tripoli bourgeoisie confess to putting their teenage children to work. Elders from the east lament that their own internal tribal emergency welfare funds are now depleted. Basic health and education services decay, while frustrated citizens cannot understand why the surge in oil production translates into a further decline in living standards. To address the needs of the most vulnerable and of internally displaced persons, on 25 January we launched a new humanitarian response plan to provide life-saving assistance to almost 1 million people a year.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“The United Nations and partner institutions must comprehensively address economic plundering as a key pillar of our engagement. Human trafficking is but one of the elements of the perverted economy. It is also the most morally reprehensible. Such trade has become the main source of income for some people, leaving them numb to the sight of humans being traded as commodities or of migrants being left to die as they fall off packed pick-up trucks. Libya is a destination, a transit country and a source of migration. Such an important issue, which affects the lives of hundreds of thousands, must be addressed strategically and across borders. I thank our partners in the African Union, the European Union and the League of Arab States for their excellent cooperation on the issue and on the political process in Libya.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“Furthermore, the arrival of more arms in Libya will only hamper such efforts and damage the political process. Unfortunately, more weapons are indeed being imported. I urge the Council to exert its utmost influence to stop arms from entering Libya. At the heart of Libya's problems is an economic system of predation that degrades the lives of ordinary Libyans and serves the interests of the powerful. It is the main obstacle to the political process and cements the status quo. I was concerned about it when I first arrived; now I am truly disturbed. That system must be shattered. Resources must flow into building a strong, equitable State for all, and not into the pockets of the few. We have built knowledge and expertise on the matter. I am grateful to the Panel of Experts for their contribution.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“I call on Member States to support Libya's fragile transition by urging their partners there to embrace the political process and not arms. There is space for all in civilian life. It is abundantly clear that no military faction can hope to conquer the country. The provision of security in Libya should be a matter for national institutions, and not for the numerous armed groups. UNSMIL has embarked on a broad conversation with the leaders of those groups to better understand their perspectives. Too many young men earn a living by carrying weapons. They should instead be reintegrated into civilian life. Before May, we expect to unveil a strategy to do so. However, we must be realistic. In a country awash with arms, disarmament will require time and much stronger national institutions.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“Citizens are arbitrarily arrested by shadowy security forces. People are held and abused in unofficial, official or quasi-official detention prisons. In the south, the situation in Sabha is currently of serious concern. There have been a number of fatalities, including civilians. The complex network of local animosities, the ongoing jostling by national political and military players and the growing presence of foreign mercenaries seriously complicate the situation. The conflict risks taking on a transnational dimension that could further destabilize Libya. To prevent further escalation, I have expressed the willingness of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to mediate should the parties request it.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“However, the political process must continue, as the status quo is untenable. I ask the Council to make the message on the unsustainability of the status quo clear to all leaders of the country. While there is reason for optimism in the political process, there is also cause for concern. A backdrop of continued violence and localized conflicts persists. Extremists, including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida, continue to maintain a presence in Libya and recently have carried out attacks. Armed groups, including those formerly integrated into State structures, continue to operate outside of the law, including perpetrating human rights abuses. Bodies bearing signs of torture have turned up in many locations. Libyan men, women and children are increasingly kidnapped for profit, even in the heart of the capital.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“The United Nations will continue to support the High Commission for National Elections in preparing for elections and will spare no effort in addressing the other preconditions for successful elections. Laws are required for any election to take place, and they must be drafted in a consensual manner. Efforts to adopt a permanent national constitution continue. A draft was approved by the Constitution Drafting Assembly on 29 July 2017. It went through a judicial challenge and, on 14 February 2018, the Supreme Court recognized the validity of the Assembly's vote on the draft. However, hurdles remain to the conduct of a constitutional referendum. The question of referendum legislation remains very controversial, while some factions are clearly not satisfied with the content of the draft Constitution.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“For the United Nations, working for the conduct of fair, free and credible elections before the end of the year is at the top of our priorities. It is vital that, before elections take place, we are certain that they will be inclusive and their results accepted. It is for that reason I am pleased that voter registration, which ended 10 days ago, was very successful. With 1 million new registrants, 2.5 million Libyans are now eligible to vote. There was strong participation by women and youth in the voter registration update. Such remarkable participation is a clear message to all. The Libyan people want their voices heard though elections. At the International Women's Day event, I called on women to translate their higher participation as registrants into higher participation as candidates.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“Armed groups that were fighting each otherjust months ago have accepted to sit around the same table. Facilitating some of these discussions, the United Nations has helped successfully prevent clashes, sometimes at the very last minute. These many activities and efforts are part and parcel of the process of the national conference, which will ultimately gather after the holy month of Ramadan. Libyans insistently remind us of their wish for a new period of stability and certainty built on accountable and unified institutions. The present institutions are based on shallow legitimacy. They are built on tenuous mandates or are divided into competing bodies. To lead and unify the people and take difficult decisions for their own good, the Government must come from the people. That means that elections must be held.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“That common narrative is crucial. We have seen a range of initiatives - some supported by the United Nations and its partners, many instigated by the Libyans themselves - to rewrite it. Mayors from all across Libya have met together, first in Tunisia and then in Libya, to discuss vital issues of service delivery. They were hosted in the homes of the people of Shahat, in the east, and met again just few days ago in Tripoli, in the west. Popular movements are starting across the country, demanding change and an end to plundering. Members of the House of Representatives and the High State Council have engaged with each other to maintain ties and alleviate divisions. The United Nations has supported local communities in conflict to forge reconciliation agreements.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“We have conveyed a plan to expedite the overcoming of this impasse. More generally, we are committed to reversing mutual exclusion and sterile seclusion. Unless Libyans from all stripes and segments can come together to speak, they will be unable to agree. And unless they agree, the political process cannot progress. Through our own efforts or working with our partners, we have made progress in reversing this situation. We have reached out to constituencies that had been marginalized, including partisans of the former regime. We have convinced ethnic groups, rival cities and political parties that have not spoken to one another for several years to come together. My mission is not to slice the cake between competing greeds. First and foremost, it is to bring Libyans together around a common national narrative.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“Citizens were willing to speak to one another, traverse the land to meet, marry and trade with one another, or settle in cities far from their place of birth, all the while carrying their personal identity. Since 2011, this demographic fluidity has been constrained, if not altogether strangled. That has produced more than 300,000 internally displaced persons, who are unable to go back to their homes and often live in miserable conditions. Others have been forced to flee the country altogether. Groups have refused to live with one another. Ideological or identity cleavages have led to widespread ostracism. A discourse of hatred has replaced peaceful interaction. This has been demonstrated most recently by the people of Tawergha, whose return was blocked and many of whom now live in temporary shelters.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“In early March, I spent three days in Benghazi. I saw a city devastated by three years of conflict. Its downtown is in ruins. Signs of the recent fighting are ubiquitous. I heard strong concerns over the economic and political situation in the country. But, behind the heated speech, there was a widespread willingness to make a fresh start and a sense of optimism. Citizens are mobilizing to rebuild their city. One of many examples is the Benghazi University faculty, who have taken the rebuilding of their university into their own hands. That spirit provides new hope - a hope we must nurture. Libya was once a country known for its great demographic fluidity.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“Mr. Salame: Let me, at the outset, congratulate the Kingdom of the Netherlands on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. I am briefing the Council from Tripoli, where I now live, as do an increasing number of my colleagues. For the United Nations to best support Libya, we must be in Libya. I am proud to announce that we have truly returned to the country. But we are here for the whole of Libya, and not for any one region or city. Accordingly, we are now looking to reopen our office in Benghazi. Once conditions permit, we will also seek to reopen in the south. The United Nations has visited cities and towns across the country in which it has not stepped foot for years, and it shall continue to do so. It is essential that we hear from all Libyans and, whenever possible, from where they live.”
2018-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8211 (2018) · source
“Feltman urged the Libyan interlocutors to truly commit to working together and implement the action plan to create the conditions necessary to end the transitional period. I would once again like to express my appreciation to the Council for its steadfast commitment and support to the action plan for Libya and to our efforts to end the crisis in that country.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“This is all the more necessary as fuel shortages, electricity shortages and water shortages are common across the country. It is a painful irony that a country of such plenty is consistently so short of the necessities. I would note once again that it is our collective responsibility to ensure that Libya's remaining frozen funds are effectively managed as a safeguard for the future. Additional work is still needed to make this truly happen. As the Council is aware, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman visited Libya from 9 to 12 January. Mr. Feltman's visit was timely and very welcome. It was an opportunity to reinforce messages to the Libyan political and military leaders that it is time for compromise, in the interests of the Libyan people. On behalf of the Secretary-General, Mr.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“Failure to address custodial abuses fuels local conflicts and undermines national reconciliation and efforts to build a rule-of-law-based State. Transformative change is overdue. Most worrying for us are the individual predatory agendas that continue to dominate at the expense of the collective good. No political solution can be durable unless an end is put to the predatory economies that have dominated the Libyan scene in the past few years, where public resources are more often than not used for various purposes other than in the service of the Libyan people. Conflict over resources is indeed at the heart of the Libyan crisis. The Mission will not spare any effort to advocate that national wealth be directed towards the provision of public services rather than to special interests.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“We keep pressing the authorities to eradicate these egregious crimes and bring those responsible to justice and, in view of several serious incidents against humanitarian actors in the conduct of their duties, I urge the Government to ensure their safety. I also salute the strong cooperation between the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations. As members of the Council know, a Task Force has been established between our three organizations and it has made progress in supporting voluntary returns of migrants. Co-chairing the operational group in Tunis, UNSMIL is dedicated to these efforts. However, the concentration on migration should not allow us to forget those many Libyans held without judicial process and often subject to ill treatment.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“The plan will target those in especially vulnerable situations, focusing on such life-saving interventions as basic services, shelter, food and demining. The Stabilization Facility for Libya is another important tool to help communities. These concrete actions are now widely recognized by the Libyan people. I thank the donors who have contributed to either of these two funds, and I urge the Government of National Accord to do its part as well. A matter of great humanitarian concern is the dire situation many migrants in Libya continue to face. I saw some of this situation first hand last month when I visited a detention centre in Gheryan. Further, we have evidence that many migrants are subject to grave abuses inside and outside official places of detention, including various forms of sexual violence.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“I have greatly benefited from their wisdom. Of utmost importance for UNSMIL is our relationship was the African Union (AU). This week I returned from Addis Ababa where I met with the AU Commission to discuss deepening our cooperation and the AU's support for Libya. Twice this month I had the honour to meet and have an exchange with AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, and we shared common views on the way forward. The political crisis in Libya has been accompanied by a humanitarian crisis of equal dimensions. Only a strong, effective Government can turn the tide and put an end to the suffering, but those suffering cannot wait. To address the most urgent needs, the United Nations will launch a humanitarian response plan next week.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“I urge these institutions to avoid mutual suspicion and unilateral action and to put the interests of the Libyan people above all other considerations. I thank the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia for taking the time to meet with me and for their strong backing of the action plan for Libya. I also express my gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco for receiving me and for its continued support for our work in Libya. It was an honour to meet with the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, whose support has been highly valued. This month, I also travelled to two of Libya's southern neighbours, where I had the privilege to meet with President Mahamadou Issoufou in the Niger and President Idriss Deby Itno in Chad, two countries substantially affected by the evolution of the Libyan scene.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“The United Nations has been able to provide the Commission with extensive technical support for voter registration and will continue to assess the arrangements for the next steps. However, before credible elections can be conducted much work remains to be done. A constitutional framework must be agreed upon. The security conditions must be conducive to making the process free and fair. There must be confidence that the results will be accepted by all. For either the referendum, presidential or parliamentary elections, laws are also needed. Libya's relevant institutions have an obligation to produce the requisite legislation and to do so in a manner consistent with the Libyan Political Agreement.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“Through town halls, shuttle visits and whatever other tools we have at our disposal, we are intensely working on tearing down the walls among Libyan political factions and untangling past local and political animosities, thus moving towards the national conference, which will provide a space for Libyans from all quarters to come together and adopt a common vision for Libya. The third focus of our work is elections. On 6 December 2017, the High National Electoral Commission launched a voter-registration update. I am pleased by the remarkable eagerness that Libyan men and women have shown in registering. Our expectations for participation have been exceeded. Some 600,000 Libyans have newly registered to vote in just over six weeks. The number of people on the electoral register now exceeds 2 million and continues to rise.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“Communities once at odds have shown their willingness to build a common future. The Government of National Accord has recently started to play its part in this effort, which has been demonstrated by its support for the Misrata-Tawergha Agreement and its provisional funding. On this matter, we will also do our part in particular to guarantee a safe return to that area. Our other national rebuilding track consists of reaching out to the major players and groups previously marginalized. They are gradually being brought into the political fold as equal and accepted partners as long as they commit to the political process.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“Out of respect for the Libyan judiciary, we await the decision of the courts. I expect this will be concluded very soon - in fact, in the next 10 days. Once a decision is reached, we will determine how we can best support the process. Secondly, with respect to national rebuilding, the fabric of Libyan society is frayed and requires meaningful reconstitution if it is to be mended. Unless a national polity is rebuilt, no meaningful progress can be made in unifying institutions, preventing outbreaks of violence or achieving widespread acceptance of election results. Rebuilding a Libyan national polity necessitates two parallel efforts. First, the United Nations has successfully facilitated numerous dialogues between local communities formerly in conflict. Agreements have been adopted and meaningful steps to address the past have been taken.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“I am encouraged by the efforts of members of the House of Representatives and of the High State Council to achieve this goal and by several initiatives generated to reach the consensus needed for that end. The work of the joint drafting committee has crystallized consensus on the adjustments to the executive authority. Although a formal agreement has yet to be reached, this consensus is desirable and it is reachable. In line with the action plan, three goals are the ultimate focus of our work. First, with regard to the Constitution, Libya requires a strong, permanent legal framework. The transition cannot definitively end until Libya stands upon a true Constitution. The draft Constitution as provided by the Constitutional Drafting Assembly is currently undergoing judicial review.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“The efforts of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) have been pivotal to the relative quiet that Libya has enjoyed over recent months. These extremely time-consuming conflict-prevention efforts must continue if hope in the political process is to be maintained. This fragile and shaky status quo is not sustainable. Libya needs a competent and efficient Government, one that can deliver the public services that the people desperately need, one that is able to unify their country's institutions, one that will preside over the elections that will end this transition. In our view, amending the Libyan Political Agreement is the most appropriate means for fulfilling that endeavour, and we have not wasted a single day in our push for it.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“The very reason that I am not briefing the Council from Tripoli, as I had planned to do, but from Tunis, is because bloody clashes at the airport have halted all flights in and out ofMitiga airport for the whole week. Civilians - men and women and children - continue to be killed or injured in crossfire. Armed groups fight recklessly in residential areas with no thought for the safety of civilians. The arms embargo has never been more important. It is for this reason that recent reports ofa large shipment of explosives intercepted by the Greek Coast Guard are particularly alarming. A country with 20 million pieces of arms does not need a single piece more. I have received the Panel of Experts today, and its members are looking into this matter with the professionalism for which they are known.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“Whether it be the adoption of electoral legislation or appointments to sovereign positions, such as Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, all actions need to proceed in line with the Agreement for its duration. In practice, that means harmony between the House of Representatives and the High State Council. We must remain alert. Although 17 December is behind us, the spectre of violence remains present. Military forces are flexing their muscles in many parts ofthe country. Close to the border with Tunisia, clashes have occurred between forces affiliated with two rival communities. The area in the eastern vicinity of Tripoli remains a worrying flashpoint. Tension has also heightened around the city of Derna.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“It is only by truly understanding the country that we can succeed in the implementation of the action plan for Libya and help its citizens put an end to a transition that is taking too long. The second anniversary of the Libyan Political Agreement was on 17 December 2017. Despite very differing views about what the anniversary might entail, Libyans ultimately chose for the day to pass without violence or significant protest. The fact that the anniversary proceeded peacefully is in no small part due to the unity of the Council. The presidential statement of 14 December (S/PRST/2017/26) sent a clear message: the international community stands behind the Agreement and will not accept attempts to undermine it. That was reiterated by three neighbouring countries, whose Ministers for Foreign Affairs met in Tunis on 17 December 2017.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“Mr. Salame: I would like to congratulate Kazakhstan on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I also wish to thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Council on the work of the United Nations to address the crisis in Libya. I wish to report that the United Nations is poised to increase its presence in Libya. Our compound has been prepared and protection arrangements made so that we can increase the number of staff who are staying and working in the capital - as security permits, of course. At the same time, we are expanding our presence across the country and visiting communities throughout Libya. In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to reach out to more cities and towns.”
2018-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8159 (2018) · source
“Those citizens are not prepared to sacrifice their rights for security - and they do not need to do so. In a society based on institutions, neither rights nor security must be compromised. I am committed to doing my utmost to assist the Libyans to resolve their political crisis. The United Nations is ramping up its presence in Libya and has already significantly increased its footprint in the country. Allow me to end by thanking Council members for their commitment and support to our efforts to resolve the crisis in Libya. I would also like to thank our Quartet partners: the African Union, the League of Arab States and the European Union. Their unified efforts are key to the success of the action plan and the better future that it promises for the people of Libya.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source