S/PV.8858 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2021/795, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2021/716, which contains the text of a letter dated 6 August 2021 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council, and document S/2021/752, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 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 2595 (2021). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

The Russian Federation supported the technical resolution submitted by the United Kingdom on extending the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 30 September (resolution 2595 (2021). At the same time, we would like to underscore our unstinting support for the efforts of the United Nations, in particular by way of UNSMIL, to continue to make progress on a settlement in Libya. Russia supports the international consensus that the United Nations has a central role in that process. We are focused on finding mutually acceptable solutions to the outstanding issues regarding UNSMIL’s future operations. Resolution 2595 (2021) aims at giving all countries an opportunity to find a common denominator with regard to the work of UNSMIL in the upcoming, complex stage in the political process in the country. Our main aim now is to help the Libyan people adhere to the established timetable for the parliamentary and presidential elections to be held on 24 December. All of our efforts should be aimed towards that end. We hope that is a goal shared by all members of the Security Council.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has a vitally important role in helping Libya achieve peace and stability, including by supporting preparations for national elections and the implementation of the ceasefire. In resolution 2542 (2020), the Security Council requested that the Secretary-General conduct an independent strategic review of UNSMIL, including an assessment of its overall mission structure and recommendations for improving its efficiency. The independent strategic review (S/2021/716, annex) concluded that the situation on the ground in Libya had changed since the UNSMIL mandate was last renewed. The October 2020 ceasefire agreement created an opportunity for UNSMIL to engage directly with stakeholders on the ground in Libya to move the process forward. In its report delivered to the Security Council, the independent strategic review team recommended that the Head of Mission be relocated to Tripoli as a matter of priority in order to increase engagement with Libyan actors, which is critical at this juncture in the political process. The endorsement of that recommendation by the Council neither prejudges when the Mission’s leadership will be restructured nor whom will be selected as the Special Representative of the Secretary- General — matters that are rightly at the discretion of the Secretary-General. The United States is committed to achieving a mandate that puts UNSMIL in the best position to advance preparations for elections on 24 December and to support the implementation of the ceasefire. After constructive and positive consultations this month, thanks to the direction and facilitation of the United Kingdom, we were disappointed by the inability to reach consensus to adopt a new mandate for UNSMIL today, especially at this important time for Libya. We therefore call on all members of the Council to work together expeditiously to adopt a mandate that implements the recommendations of the independent review so that UNSMIL can intensify its efforts. We cannot fail the Libyan people at this critical moment.