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

“The third challenge, beyond predation, which robs the country of many dollars, is that hundreds of millions more dollars are being silently lost due to the poor management of Libya's frozen assets. Freezing the assets is one thing. However, their mismanagement is another. We should revisit how Libya's external wealth and investments are managed so that they are not silently and gradually lost for future generations. The relaunch of the political process has created a new momentum. I am pleased to see many constructive and peaceful debates on the future of the country. It is testimony to the commitment of the Libyan people that, on a daily basis, I receive new ideas and suggestions about the political process from ordinary citizens who are keen and free to participate in shaping their country's future.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“The gap between the official exchange rate, set at 1.4 Libyan dinars to the dollar, and the black-market exchange rate, at 9 dinars to the dollar, provides ample opportunities to earn huge profit margins. Brokers benefit from the selling of letters of credits and cheques. The traffic of subsidized fuel to foreign countries robs the country of hundreds of millions of dollars every month. Other measures include the issuing of overvalued government contracts. The result is that Libya's financial reserves are depleting rapidly. Libya is a textbook example of the appearance of instant millionaires and of the extremely rapid pace of middle-class impoverishment. It is the Libyan people who pay the highest price for that. Two of every five Libyan youths are now unemployed.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“Events such as these shake popular faith in the political process. I once again call on the Libyan authorities to investigate those incidents and to hold the perpetrators to account. However, I cannot ignore that such events take place across the country with alarming regularity and I cannot accept that repeated calls for justice go unheeded. If Libyans alone cannot combat impunity for war crimes, it is time for the international community to consider mechanisms, including possibly joint tribunals, that can help them to do so. The second challenge is that politics in Libya are strongly shaped by economic predation. In an environment of protracted insecurity and a lack of accountability, the shadow economy has been flourishing. Billions of dollars are lost every year in illicit money transfers.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“That example is one in a long series of discoveries of corpses being dumped in and around Benghazi over the past months. Days later, a fighterjet bombed a family in the outskirts of the city of Derna. Fourteen civilians, most of whom were children, and including some women, were killed in an appalling incident tantamount to a war crime. On 20 October, in Tripoli, the bodies of three men were handed over to families hours after having been taken alive during clashes in the Al-Ghrarat area, raising concerns of extrajudicial killings. We are still investigating the recent events that led to the death of numerous fighters in the Warshafanah area, in western Libya. There are suspicions that a number of those fighters may have been killed in a manner that violates international law.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“We urge the Libyan Government to address that challenge directly and comprehensively in order to find a solution that respects the rights of migrants and host communities across the country. The United Nations stands ready to work with the Libyan authorities and their northern and southern neighbours to develop innovative and sustainable solutions. Beyond the action plan, three very serious challenges have appeared on our agenda: impunity for grave crimes, the economy ofpredation and the erosion of frozen assets. First, impunity and lawlessness continue to prevail across the country in the face of increasingly heinous crimes committed every day. A few recent examples include the fact that, on 26 October, 36 corpses were found in Al-Abyar, near Benghazi. The corpses showed signs of having been tortured before they were executed.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“I hope the the Council can consider supporting our programme for 2018, not to mention the now critical two-year- old Stabilization Facility for Libya, which has brought tangible benefits to communities in Ubari, Benghazi, Sabha, Sirte and Kikla. Encouraged by the success, the Facility is expanding to Bani Walid and the greater Tripoli area. Owing to the Stabilization Facility, hospitals have been reopened and children have classrooms. Yet that is not enough. Much more remains to be done. On migrants and refugees, despite emergency assistance, we have seen an increase in the number of people arbitrarily detained in a system with no accountability or due process. Migrants continue to be subjected to extreme violence, forced labour, extortion, killings and other grave abuses inside and outside official places of detention.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“Only a fraction of the country's public hospitals is functioning. Medicines are in short supply and modern equipment is often left in disrepair. Foreign staff, the traditional backbone of Libya's health-care system, have fled. Some Libyan practitioners warn that the country is vulnerable to a potential epidemic outbreak. We plan to call a high-level coordination meeting among local and international stakeholders early in 2018. It is outrageous that a country that stands upon such vast wealth has so much suffering. However, it does, and so we must help it to tackle the most urgentconcerns. Our humanitarian strategy seeks to help to address the acute needs of the most vulnerable groups.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“The sustainable delivery of human security in Libya also needs an empowered judiciary and professional law enforcement and security agencies. The United Nations is working with the Ministry of Justice and other Libyan actors on initiatives, in particular reforming the appalling detention system. The Mission continues to work to facilitate dialogue between local communities and institutions, such as the preliminary agreement recently reached between Tripoli and Zintan. In this context, I commend the decision of the Presidency Council to create a national reparations fund for all victims of the conflict. We cannot ignore the dire humanitarian situation in Libya. In the past, the country has been a donor to much of Africa; now, 25 per cent of the population has humanitarian needs. In particular, Libya's health sector is in crisis.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“The Libyan Political Agreement of 2015 must therefore stand, amended or not, as the framework for the conclusion of the transition. As part of the action plan, the United Nations is also working to create a more secure and normal life for all citizens so that Libyans can go about their daily lives free from fear and want. We are intensifying our engagement with armed groups and developing our strategy for their gradual reintegration into civilian life. In Tripoli, our experts are working closely with State security forces to empower them to secure the capital more effectively. Moreover, we continue our engagement with military leaders across the country on the future shape of Libya's defence institutions.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“To ensure preparedness, the High National Electoral Commission is working to initiate a voter registration update before the end of the year, which will be the first such exercise since 2014. The international community stands fully ready to support the process. On its part, the House of Representatives must assume its duty to pass the requisite electoral legislation. There must also be a clear constitutional framework. The Constitutional Drafting Assembly was elected and mandated to produce a new constitution, and it has completed its draft. I salute its fortitude for the pressure it has faced and condemn the threats made against Assembly members. The constitutional process must now move forward. While we work together to implement the various parts of the action plan, no vacuum is acceptable.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“The national conference will give Libyans from all across the country the opportunity to come together in one place for the first time, to renew their common national narrative, and to agree on the tangible steps required to end the transition. I insist that the conference be inclusive in order to allow the adoption of a true national charter and provide guidelines for the legislation needed to end the transition. Such a conference is needed now more than ever in the light of renewed threats to national unity issued recently by parallel authorities. As for elections, we are intensively trying to establish the proper political and technical conditions for their occurrence. Elections should not take place until we are certain that they will not add a third Parliament or a fourth Government. Libyans deserve uncontested national institutions.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“We will not tailor a process to pick particular candidates, and any mechanism to select a new Presidency Council and Government must be transparent and fair. I am pleased to report that the Libyan public has overwhelmingly welcomed this principled approach. It is expected that politicians are overexcited by the question of "who", but for us, what is important is the question of "how" - by which we mean, there must be a fair, open and competitive process. Work is also ongoing on other aspects of the action plan. UNSMIL is well into preparations for the national conference - al-Multaqa al-Watani - which is to take place in February 2018. We are currently exploring the possibility of hosting it inside Libya, and I welcome the many Libyan offers of assistance that we have received.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“The United Nations convened two sessions of the joint drafting committee, composed of members from both the House of Representatives and the High State Council, to agree on a set of amendments to the Libyan Political Agreement in UNSMIL's offices in Tunis. For the first time, with these meetings article 12 of the Libyan Political Agreement has been implemented. I welcome the mutual recognition of the two assemblies and their acknowledgment of the Libyan Political Agreement as the sole available framework for ending the crisis in Libya. Since the meetings, the two bodies have been in constant contact. Though much progress has been made, a few remaining points are still to be agreed. I am quite confident that we are close to a consensus.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“As a nation without stark ethnic or sectarian divides, but with a good educational system and a wealth of natural resources, many challenges faced elsewhere are not found there. But what might be mistaken for a homogenous nation is actually a country divided at the atomic level. Sparked by the 2011 conflict and fueled over the subsequent years, the national polity has imploded. In its place, there has been an explosion of competing individual agendas, often masquerading as representing regions, cities or tribes. Reconstituting the Libyan national polity is a must, for without it effective institutions cannot form, and rebuilding a State can only be a Sisyphean endeavour. I am pleased to report that over the past two months, the action plan has made significant headway.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“Mr. Salame: I would like to congratulate Italy on assuming the presidency of the Security Council this month. I am privileged to see Minister Alfano presiding over this meeting, which is a reflection of Italy's strong commitment to supporting the United Nations effort to end the crisis in Libya. It has been two months since the launch ofthe action plan for Libya. The action plan is made up of a number of ingredients which the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has simultaneously started working on, including amending the Libyan Political Agreement, organizing a national conference, preparing for elections and providing humanitarian assistance. The Libyan case may appear simple.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“I very much hope that with the trust of our Libyan partners and the confidence of the regional organizations and concerned Member States, we will be able to strengthen and unify our collective efforts and together restore Libya to its rightful place in the family of nations - as one united, stable and prosperous country.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“I would not have assumed this role ifI did not believe that a peaceful and positive end to the Libyan crisis were possible. For that reason, during the upcoming meeting of the General Assembly, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres plans to convene a high-level meeting where an action plan will be presented. I will not go into further details as it would be premature prior to the conclusion of my round of consultations with the Libyans. The United Nations stands willing and able to act in the best interests of all Libyans and with all parties equally.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“I would like to thank all the Member States that have worked to support the Libyan Political Agreement since its signature, who have contributed to fighting ISIS and other listed terrorist groups and who have contributed to stabilizing the country. I look forward to working with all of those Libyan and international stakeholders to bring together our political, security and economic efforts in a coherent and coordinated manner. I appreciate the efforts of all Governments and organizations working to promote peace and reconciliation among Libyans. But a proliferation of initiatives to mediate somehow risks confusing the political landscape. There is a window of opportunity, and it is in the hands of the Libyan people to seize it.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“To deliver on our mandate, we continue to prepare to ramp up the presence of the United Nations family in Tripoli and from Tripoli across the country, as security conditions allow. A convoy of UNSMIL personnel was attacked with gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades on 28 June. One staff member was injured and we are really fortunate that there were no further casualties. The United Nations presence in Libya is already significantly larger than any other diplomatic mission, and it will soon expand further. We must remain aware that there are real risks in operating in Libya, and it is incumbent on me to ensure that those risks are mitigated as effectively as possible.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“Irregular migration, and the revenue it generates for smuggler networks, has also proven to be a direct threat to stability in parts of Libya. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees who are stuck in Libya often suffer abuses and detention in inhuman conditions. We need to act, we need to act together and we need to act now. We are not starting from zero. Thanks to my predecessors and the concerted efforts of Member States, we have the political framework of the Libyan Political Agreement. There is fairly widespread recognition in Libya that the current situation cannot drag on indefinitely. The commitments to a ceasefire and a political rather than military solution to the crisis made in the Paris communique need to be supported by concrete actions to avoid renewed military escalation.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“In any case, any efforts to forge a solution must be Libyan led and Libyan owned. The United Nations is here to support them in their endeavours and certainly not to replace them. We will in particular work with them to promote the rapid reunification of their political and financial institutions. Libya's problems are not just confined to the Libyan people. The presence of ISIS, Al-Qaida-affiliated terrorist groups, foreign fighters and mercenaries, the trafficking of arms and the cross-border black market economy are challenges which extend across Libya's borders and impact its neighbours and the wider international community. Three days ago, deadly clashes near the border with Chad reminded all of the regional sensitivity of Libya's present conditions.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“However, at the moment, the legality of the vote is being considered by the courts. Thirdly, there are growing and widespread calls for fresh elections. Before these take place, it would be wise to ensure that the political and technical preconditions for successful elections be addressed and in particular a commitment on the part of all parties to accept the election results. Elections are not about accumulation, but about peaceful and organized rotation. Finally, a political package is required to bring these three elements together coherently. In that regard, sequencing is the name of the game. Libyans can successfully go into these three processes only if they define in what order and with what urgency they should do so, and if we help them combine the three into one single package which most, if not all, players consider acceptable.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“First, with regard to the upcoming two-year anniversary of the Libyan Political Agreement on 17 December, there is uncertainty over what the end of the transitional period outlined in the Agreement actually means. One of the most immediate tasks is to help build a consensus among Libyans on the legal and political significance of that date. An institutional vacuum at this crucial time will not serve Libya's interests. Most of my interlocutors have raised with me their thoughts on amending the Libyan Political Agreement. A consensus is emerging on this issue and I hope to be able to announce some movement on it in the coming days. Secondly, with regard to the prospect of adopting a constitution, the vote by the Constitution Drafting Assembly on 29 July to finalize the draft text was an important milestone.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“The terrible attack at the al-Fuqaha checkpoint on Thursday, 24 August, which saw the brutal killing of nine soldiers and two civilians was attributed to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS). The Libyans I have spoken to want an end to uncertainty and instability, and they respect those who are working to bring the situation under control. In Tripoli and certain other parts of the country, the security situation has truly improved. Oil production has increased markedly, enabling the Presidency Council and Central Bank of Libya to work together to deliver on the budget. These are positive steps, but the key to lasting stability requires addressing the overarching political situation. In this regard, the main issues that dominate the political landscape are as follows.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“Of particular concern is the present situation in Derna where we have repeatedly called for civilians to have freedom of movement and actively worked for the entry of basic necessities to the city. The other challenge which Libyans are concerned about is, of course, their security. There is much fear of criminality, of kidnapping and the threats posed by the widespread proliferation of arms. My first night in Tripoli, I fell asleep to the protracted staccato of gunfire. Civilians are killed or injured across Libya as a result of sporadic armed clashes and explosive remnants of war. Thousands are also detained for prolonged periods of time, many with no prospects ofa fair trial.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“The impression of a now well-rooted political economy of predation is palpable, as if the country were fuelling its own crisis with its own resources to the benefit of the few and the frustration of the many. There is clearly a serious problem of governance that can hardly wait to be addressed. The people's welfare is, obviously, a fundamental element in Libya's future stability. I intend to work closely with our partners to ensure that we are fully coordinating in realizing a macroeconomic vision for the country while helping the authorities provide basic services. Unless the economic challenges are addressed, and soon, the humanitarian crisis in Libya will deepen. For civilians in need, access to humanitarian assistance should go unimpeded and relief personnel should be protected.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“I passed the same bank in Tripoli repeatedly from 10 o'clock in the morning until 10 o'clock at night and saw so many people I thought it was a demonstration, but they were just waiting to access a fraction of their month's salary - the equivalent of what is now worth $25. It is unnatural that in this wealthy country, university departments are closing one after the other because the outrageous gap in the exchange rate has led foreign faculty to quit en masse. People are tired of the endless cuts in electricity and water, which in turn take down the telephone system and the Internet. Libyans cannot understand being poor in a country rich with natural resources, an oil-producing country where they must queue, sometimes for a day, to get 20 litres of petrol.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“When I was in Algeria, Prime Minister Ouyahia and Foreign Minister Messahel reiterated their support for our efforts. I also visited Italy, where Prime Minister Gentiloni Silveri and his ministers expressed their commitment to the success of our efforts. All of those countries will benefit from a stable, peaceful and reconciled Libya, as will many more. I look forward to travelling to the Republic of the Congo next week, where the African Union High-Level Committee on Libya is convening key Libyan actors in Brazzaville. It is my intention to extend the scope of my visits in the coming weeks and months to other neighbours, countries in the region and beyond. From my meetings with Libyans, a clear picture is emerging. People are frustrated with their deteriorating living conditions.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“In each place I met with political figures, military and security officials and women, intellectuals, activists and young people. I firmly believe that our attachment to the Libyan Political Agreement as a reference should not prevent us from reaching out to all Libyans, whatever their status and their past or present positions. Rather, we must reach out so that there is reconciliation for all. In my external consultations, I have sought to prioritize Libya's neighbours. They include Tunisia, where I also thanked the authorities for their support and hospitality to UNSMIL over the past three years. In Egypt, I met with the officials in charge of the Libyan dossier, representatives of the League of Arab States, and some of the leading members of the Libyan community established there.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“On 5 August, I made my first official visit to Tripoli and met with the Prime Minister and Mr. Abdelrahman Al-Sweihli. Chairman ofthe High Council of State. The following day I also met with Mr. Saleh Issa, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Libyan officials. The trip launched my consultations with Libyans across the political spectrum and the country. Since then, I have been present in Libya as often as possible and have been to towns across most of its regions - Tripoli, Al Qubba, Benghazi, Misrata, Zintan and Al Bayda. I am sorry to say that due to external restrictions I have yet to Visit the south; in fact, a trip scheduled for last Thursday was cancelled a few hours before departure, but we are working hard to make sure that it happens as soon as possible.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source
“Mr. Salame: At the outset, I would like to congratulate Egypt on its presidency of the Security Council this month. I am very pleased to be speaking to the Council from the compound of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in Tripoli. My presence here is intended to signify the Mission's and my personal resolve to working as closely as possible with Libyans in Libya. A month ago I assumed my position as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNSMIL. I was fortunate enough to have already met Prime Minister Serraj and Marshal Haftar in Paris on 25 July and to have had exchanges with them before taking up my post, as well as to receive on my nomination hundreds of calls, letters and e-mails from representatives of all walks of Libyan society.”
2017-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8032 (2017) · source