S/2020/509 Security Council

In accordance with the procedure agreed upon by the members of the Security Council in the light of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, as set out in the letter dated 27 March 2020 from the President of the Security Council addressed to all the members of the Security Council (S/2020/253), I would like to draw your attention to the following issue. The members of the Council have discussed a draft resolution, submitted by Germany, in connection with the agenda item entitled “The situation in Libya”. That draft resolution, contained in document S/2020/500 and enclosed herein, has been put into blue. In my capacity as President of the Security Council, I hereby put the above- mentioned draft resolution to a vote. The non-extendable 24-hour voting period for this draft resolution will begin at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 4 June 2020 and will expire at 3 p.m. on Friday, 5 June 2020. Please submit your vote (in favour, against, or abstain) on the draft resolution, as well as your possible explanation of vote, by sending a letter signed by the Permanent Representative or Chargé d’affaires a.i. within the non-extendable 24-hour voting period set out above to the Director of the Security Council Affairs Division in the United Nations Secretariat (egian@un.org). It is my intention to circulate a letter listing the outcome of the vote within three hours of the conclusion of the 24-hour voting period. I also intend to convene a video- teleconference of the Security Council to announce the outcome of the vote shortly after the conclusion of the voting period, on the afternoon of Friday, 5 June 2020.

Today the Security Council is renewing its call to action from resolution 2292 (2016), whereby, to contribute to the enforcement of the arms embargo on Libya, the Security Council authorized Member States, acting nationally or through regional organizations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that are believed to violate the arms embargo. Four years later, against the backdrop of a steady escalation of fighting and attacks on civilians and civilian targets, sadly, that call to action remains relevant. Extending the authorization to inspect ships sends an important signal that the international community remains seized of the situation in Libya and is willing and ready to act. I commend the efforts of the European Union (EU), which has mobilized considerable resources pursuant to that authorization, in particular with the deployment of the former European Union military operation in the Southern Central Mediterranean, SOPHIA, and the current European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI. Operation IRINI, with its naval and aerial surveillance capabilities, serves as an effective deterrent and is an important partner to the Panel of Experts supporting the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011), concerning Libya. Operation IRINI has supported the implementation of the arms embargo and has hailed ships on multiple occasions since its launch at the end of March this year. The European Union has proven its willingness to operate in a transparent manner and is living up to its obligation to act strictly within the parameters of Security Council resolutions. Operation IRINI will be present where it is most needed, thus ensuring that efforts to implement the arms embargo remain balanced and effective. The strict implementation of the arms embargo is of the utmost importance for creating the much-needed space to bring about a political solution to a conflict that cannot be resolved by military means. With resolution 2526 (2020), the Security Council has put a valuable tool in the hands of the international community. It is not a resolution tailored to the EU, but addresses the international community as a whole. Germany therefore welcomes the commitment displayed by neighbouring States and other regional organizations to remain continuously involved, which is reflected in the current text of the resolution, alongside a reference to resolution 2510 (2020) as a reminder of the pledges made at the Berlin Conference. For other actors to come forward and support the efforts made by Operation IRINI, the predictability of Security Council actions will be crucial. It is a complex operation involving financial, logistic and planning efforts from several European Union member States. A 12-month renewal provides the certainty required to conduct such an operation. In closing, I would like to thank the European Union for its continued willingness to brief the Council on its operations. As a new penholder, we are also grateful to the former penholder (the United Kingdom) and Council members for their ongoing support.

The Russian delegation supported the initiative to extend for one more year the special inspection regime on the high seas off the coast of Libya established under resolution 2292 (2016), with the objective of ensuring respect for the Security Council’s arms embargo. Such special measures could be useful as the Libyan crisis remains a serious source of regional instability, accompanied by illicit arms trafficking. We took note of the decision of the European Union to launch the new European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation, aimed at supporting the implementation of the United Nations arms embargo on Libya. The Operation should fully comply with international law as well as with the framework established by resolution 2292 (2016). Any modifications to its activities beyond the scope of that resolution will require the consent of the Security Council. We expect Operation IRINI to be conducted along the entire Libyan coast. Imbalance or bias in that regard could negatively affect international efforts aimed at promoting dialogue between the Libyan parties. We reaffirm the central role of the United Nations in the Libyan settlement. We hope that United Nations mediation will lead to success and look forward to the early appointment of a new Special Representative of the Secretary-General.