S/PV.8961 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/2022/69, 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/2022/31, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on 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 2619 (2022). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

As penholder, the United Kingdom worked hard to try to secure a substantive renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. It was disappointing that the Security Council was unable to reach agreement on our proposed text. Nonetheless, we thank Council members for the flexibility shown throughout the negotiations. I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm once again the United Kingdom’s full support for the United Nations-facilitated Libyan-led and -owned political process. As the Council heard last week (see S/PV.8952), Libya is at a fragile juncture. The role of the United Nations in supporting an inclusive political process in Libya is more important than ever.

Gabon voted in favour of the technical rollover of the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Maintaining the Security Council’s consensus on this issue was the main basis for our vote. However, we cannot fail to underscore and regret the fact that this is the second technical rollover, which reflects the scope of the substantive divisions within the Council. It is regrettable that the lack of consensus is taking place at a time when Libya is undergoing a pivotal stage in its stabilization process and faces numerous challenges that urgently require solutions: the date for the presidential and parliamentary elections is yet to be defined; the inclusive dialogue has to be consolidated; and the reconciliation process has yet to be pursued. Gabon therefore calls on the members of the Council to seize the opportunity provided by this period to overcome their differences and arrive at an agreement on all the pending matters. We reiterate the African position on involving eminent Africans, in particular through the Panel of the Wise, in resolving the Libyan crisis. Libya is an African country. The tendency to consider viable solutions to African problems without Africans being involved is difficult to understand. In that regard, designating a Special Representative of the Secretary-General for UNSMIL as soon as possible is essential.

Kenya voted to renew the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya because it is a critical support tool for a Libyan- led and -owned peace process. We acknowledge the joint efforts of fellow members of the Security Council in seeking the best possible support to Libya. However, we believe that the Mission would have been better enabled through a substantive mandate renewal. That would have been the ideal way of infusing the emerging needs of the peace process into the Mission’s support to Libya. That is what we wanted. By yet another technical rollover, the Council is missing another significant opportunity to support Libya’s national dialogue and reconciliation efforts, which are critical to progress in the peace process. We call on all members whose divergent positions led to where we are today to exercise flexibility and facilitate consensus on the outstanding issues that stand in the way of a substantive mandate renewal. Finally, we reaffirm our commitment to the peace process in Libya and our intention to continue to fully engage with fellow members of the Council and with Libya towards decisions that effectively respond to a truly Libyan-led and -owned peace process.

First, I wish to express our appreciation for the tireless efforts of the United Kingdom as penholder. Ireland voted in favour of resolution 2619 (2022) today. However, we regret that at this critical juncture in Libya’s transition, the Council has once again failed to find consensus on a substantive resolution that would equip the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to achieve optimum impact, including through the implementation of the recommendations of the strategic review. The role of UNSMIL on the ground in Libya is more important than ever given the fragility of the political situation and the need for progress on the security and economic tracks. Most importantly, an effective UNSMIL is vital to support the Libyan people and their legitimate expectations of a democratic and peaceful future. The sustained support and leadership from the United Nations and from the Council is essential to instil confidence in the Libyan political process and to help Libyan stakeholders forge agreement on the way forward and on the holding of elections as soon as possible. Ireland reiterates its full support for the work of the Mission, the Mission leadership and Special Adviser Williams. We look forward to the appointment of a Special Envoy and hope that the next discussions towards the renewal of the Mission’s mandate will prove more fruitful.

My delegation would like to express its appreciation to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) for all its efforts. We commend its role in supporting the peace process in Libya, which is led and owned by our Libyan brothers. The United Arab Emirates also values the efforts made by UNSMIL within its mandate to support the reaching of a national consensus on the holding of elections. We would have hoped to see today the adoption of an integrated resolution on the renewal of the UNSMIL mandate, especially with the positive engagement of all members of the Security Council during the negotiations, so that UNSMIL can carry out its mandate in a way that meets the recommendation of the Secretary-General on going back to the previous format of the Mission, given its decisive role in supporting Libya in achieving peace and stability. We would like to thank the United Kingdom for its efforts in facilitating the consultations. We look forward to achieving in future the consensus necessary to contribute to the strengthening of United Nations support for a comprehensive political settlement in Libya. We stress that it is important for the Security Council to continue to speak in a unified voice to support Libya and to achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people.

Brazil voted in favour of technical rollover resolution 2619 (2022), on the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), because it understands that the alternative would send an even more negative message to the Libyan people about the Security Council’s commitment to the stabilization of their country. But the way in which the text of the resolution was negotiated was far from what should be expected from this body. I thank the United Kingdom for its efforts to incorporate the recommendations of the 2021 independent strategic review into the UNSMIL mandate. At this decisive moment for Libya, it was high time for the Mission to have an adequate structure to mediate dialogue between the Libyan political forces, assist in institution-building efforts and monitor the ceasefire. The fact that Council members could not reach consensus on that was very unfortunate. In three months, the Council will meet again to renew UNSMIL’s mandate. We hope that next time that a decision will be taken that prioritizes the best interests of the Libyan people and respects the right of elected members to participate fully in the negotiations.

By voting in favour of resolution 2619 (2022), France reaffirmed its support for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Nonetheless, we deplore the fact that the Council did not reach an agreement on a substantive renewal of the Mission’s mandate. Indeed, following the postponement of the first round of the presidential elections scheduled for 24 December 2021, Libya is at a critical phase in its political transition. The Security Council must encourage the Libyan people to resolve their differences so that presidential and parliamentary elections can be held as soon as possible, in line with the road map of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, endorsed by resolution 2570 (2021). We are ready to work to that end over the coming days with the members of the Council. In order to give UNSMIL the means necessary to carry out its mediation mission properly, it is vital that the Secretary-General name a special envoy without delay, pursuant to resolution 2542 (2020), as recalled in the resolution just adopted. Restructuring is also necessary so that UNSMIL can discharge the mandate entrusted to it by the Security Council. France calls on the members of the Council to help that restructuring at the time of the next renewal of the mandate at the end of April, as requested by the Secretary-General in the strategic review last summer.

Albania would like to extend its appreciation to the United Kingdom for leading the negotiations on the renewal of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and deplores the fact that no consensus was reached in support of the mandate as originally proposed. Albania voted in favour of the technical rollover of the Mission, hoping that in future unity among the members of the Security Council will prevail for the benefit of ensuring the renewal of UNSMIL’s mandate, in line with the outcome of the Mission’s strategic review. Nevertheless, Albania still believes that the only way to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Libya is through an inclusive Libyan-led and Libya-owned political process, supported by the strong mediating role of the United Nations. We should not miss this opportunity to continue building on the achievements made so far towards free, fair, inclusive and credible national elections in order to meet the will expressed so clearly by the Libyan people. To that end, Albania would like to reaffirm its full support for the work of Special Adviser Stephanie Williams and for the work of the Mission.

At the outset, I should like to express my delegation’s support for the work of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), which is why we supported the technical rollover of the mandate. However, like other delegations that spoke before me, I would like to note our disappointment at the fact that important agreements on the reconfiguration of and adjustments to the work of the Mission, which would have granted us the essential tools to tackle the critical situation facing the political process in Libya, were not able to be reflected in resolution 2619 (2022), which we have just adopted. We deplore the fact that the constructive spirit of the vast majority did not prevail. Mexico calls upon the Secretary-General, taking into account the views of African States, to appoint a special envoy at the earliest so that that person can assume the leadership of the Mission, which has been headless for more than a month now, and carry out mediation and good-offices work as set out in the Council’s mandate.

Today’s vote is a suboptimal outcome for the Libyan people and a poor reflection on the Council. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) plays an essential role in supporting the political process, assisting with the unification of institutions and, importantly, strengthening the capabilities of the High National Electoral Commission. UNSMIL also plays an essential role in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, notably through the deployment in support of the Libyan- led ceasefire monitoring mechanism. The United States entered negotiations on a comprehensive mandate renewal in good faith, committed to reaching agreement on a mandate that continues the important work of UNSMIL. We thank the United Kingdom, as the penholder, for demonstrating a clear willingness to work with the Council on language that addressed our respective views. Unfortunately, the Council was not able to reach agreement on the balanced and strong mandate text provided by the United Kingdom. We now must work with the technical rollover mandate we have to forge a way forward for Libyan- owned and -led elections. This includes providing our full support for the Special Adviser of the Secretary- General on Libya, Stephanie Williams. We call on the members of the Security Council and Libya’s neighbours to engage constructively with Special Adviser Williams and support her efforts.

The Russian Federation voted in favour of resolution 2619 (2022), rolling over the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 30 April of this year, based, first and foremost, on our conviction that there is no alternative to reaching a comprehensive peace settlement to the Libyan crisis under the auspices of the United Nations. We encourage all Libyan players to make use of the unanimous support of the Security Council to, with the facilitation of UNSMIL, overcome existing disagreements, define deadlines and carry out presidential and parliamentary elections so that through joint efforts they can turn the page and open a new chapter in the life of the country. We are convinced that extending the Mission for three months will allow us to respond to developments in the situation in Libya during the pre-electoral period. Furthermore, the mention of the need for the Secretary-General to define a new head of the Mission will help to re-establish the full functioning of UNSMIL in line with its mandate.

We welcome the consensus adoption of the technical rollover of the mandate for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) (resolution 2619 (2022)). Elections are an important step in Libya’s political process. The Libyan people are looking forward to establishing a national governance structure that is coordinated, unified and stable for the long term, so that they can usher in a new phase of national development. We encourage all parties in Libya to maintain the current momentum of dialogue and consultation, stick to peaceful means, reach broad political consensus on major issues concerning the elections, and create favourable conditions for the smooth holding of the elections. China supports the United Nations in continuing to promote dialogue among all Libyan parties. UNSMIL should provide necessary electoral support in accordance with its mandate. We also look forward to speeding up the appointment of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Libya. It is important to heed the views of the African States so that the appointment can take place at an early date.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Norway. Norway regrets that the Security Council was not able to agree on a substantial update to the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The last substantial draft presented by the penholder on 24 January was the result of lengthy negotiations in September as well as this month. Norway supported a draft that reflected developments during the last 16 months, especially as the situation on the ground has changed significantly, with the ceasefire agreement, the establishment of the Government of National Unity, and now preparations for elections. The penholder’s draft also contained important language on women, peace and security, humanitarian access, protection of civilian human rights and regional cooperation. Further, we support the implementation of the recommendations from the independent strategic review, which was also included in the penholder’s drafts. Yet our foremost priority was to secure an extension of UNSMIL’s mandate. The Mission plays a pivotal role in supporting Libyan authorities in their preparation for elections and in the political process in general. A political solution is key to ensuring peace and security for the people of Libya. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. Before adjourning the meeting, given that this is the final scheduled meeting of the Council for the month of January, I wish to express the sincere appreciation of the delegation of Norway to the members of the Council and to the Secretariat for all the support they have given us. Indeed, it has been an intense month, during which we rallied to consensus on several important issues within our purview. We could not have done it alone, or without the hard work, support and positive contribution of every delegation and the representatives of the Secretariat, including the conference service officers, interpreters, translators, verbatim reporters and security staff. I would like to extend my thanks to them all. As our presidency draws to an end, I know I speak on behalf of all Council members in wishing the delegation of the Russian Federation good luck in the month of February.