S/PV.7661 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Libya to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2016/293, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I also wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2016/209, which contains a letter dated 4 March 2016 from the Panel of Experts on Libya established pursuant to resolution 1973 (2011) addressed to the President of the Security Council. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2278 (2016). I now give the floor to the representative of Libya.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership of the Council this month, and the members of the Council for their unanimous adoption of resolution 2278 (2016). While today’s resolution does not respond to our urgent request regarding the Libyan Investment Authority, it does reaffirm the sanctions directed at all those involved in the illegal export of Libyan crude oil. It also extends the mandate of the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1973 (2011). We have seen a visible improvement in the Panel’s performance, based on its most recent report, as contained in document S/2016/209. We have worked with the delegation of the United Kingdom and all the other members of the Security Council to ensure that the resolution just adopted represents an additional step that can help the Libyan people assure, safeguard and develop its natural resources. We believe that all Council members understand the problems that the Libyan Investment Authority is up against. We know of nothing that would be an obstacle to the approval of our request that the Investment Authority be enabled to manage its resources within the framework of the current assets freeze. However, we were surprised by the Security Council’s unfortunate refusal to respond to our request, which thereby makes it henceforth responsible for every loss incurred by the Libyan people. We are talking about profits that we could have amassed to the tune of $2 billion a year. That flies in the face of the fact that Council members continue to affirm their willingness to help the Libyan people and protect their resources. That disparity between deeds and words certainly does nothing to maintain the Council’s credibility in the eyes of the Libyan people, and I hope that the Council will reconsider the issue as soon as possible and agree to the request expressed in our letter addressed to it. I welcome the return of the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord to Tripoli. As I have said a number of times, there can be no peace or security in Libya until that legitimate Government can work in a safe environment. There can be no question that the Presidency Council’s return to Tripoli is a courageous, necessary and important step in confronting the extremist groups that have now been occupying the capital for two years and that have undermined all the revolution’s gains, making the people’s lives an intolerable hell. In that context, I would like to commend the efforts of the Libyan armed forces, particularly the navy, which has helped us to take that step, and I urge all the armed groups and the Libyan people as a whole to support the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord in dealing with all the extremist and criminal groups that have tried to undermine the political process or commit acts of terrorism in the capital. That involves responding to the continuing incitement by the former Mufti Al-Sadeq Al-Gheriani and by the television channel run by his son, and that of the Canadian national of Libyan origin Abd Al-Bassit Ghweila. I urge all Libyan army and police officers to return to their posts in accordance with the requests of the Presidency Council. Those extremists and criminals who attempt to undermine the political process are trying to jeopardize the legitimacy of the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord. I would like to make it clear, however, that the Presidency Council and the General National Congress acquired that legitimacy in accordance with the Libyan Political Agreement, adopted by the House of Representatives, and those institutions still possess that legitimacy. The Presidency Council and the House of Representatives must work together in order to convene the General National Congress in order to approve the Government of National Accord, as represented by the Presidency Council, whether as is or after modifications have been made. Most Libyans no longer consider the question of who will occupy the various offices of the Government of National Accord significant. They have endured displacement and fear for their lives and property. Their salaries have not been paid; they have no health services. They have only one option, and that is the Government of National Accord, whatever its failings. It represents the only way out of the crisis. All Libya’s stakeholders must therefore work together to give the Government of National Accord the momentum it needs as soon as possible, and until then, the Presidency Council can green-light the various ministries and deputy ministers. We need the international community to respond to the Government, and I hope that today the Security Council will send a clear message of solid support for the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord and that that message will take the form of a press statement by the Council.