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Libya

Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (S/2017/726) [EN/AR]

Attachments

I. Introduction

1. The present report, submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2323 (2016), covers political and security developments in Libya, provides an overview of the economic, human rights and humanitarian situation in the country and outlines the activities of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) since the issuance of my previous report on 4 April 2017 (S/2017/283).

II. Political and security-related developments

2. The reporting period was marked by numerous efforts by the United Nations and Member States to revitalize the political process against the backdrop of a highly volatile security environment. Clashes in Tripoli led to the eventual withdrawal of some hardline armed groups and improved security control in the capital by forces supportive of the Presidency Council. Escalating violence took place in Southern Libya, where forces of the two main armed actors, the Libyan National Army and the Misratan-affiliated Third Force clashed over control of strategic positions.

3. Libyan political and security actors continued to engage in dialogue to advance the political process. These activities took place amidst increasing popular debate over the nature and the end state of the transitional period and the possible holding of elections in 2018. Delegations representing the House of Representatives and High State Council were also selected in line with the Libyan Political Agreement to engage in dialogue on possible amendments to the Agreement. The Constitution Drafting Assembly finalized a draft constitution to ensure that a constitutional framework would be in place at the end of the transitional period. On 29 July 2017, the Assembly voted and approved the constitution, which is to be put to popular referendum for adoption.

4. During the reporting period, I appointed Ghassan Salamé (Lebanon) as my new Special Representative and Head of UNSMIL, effective 26 July 2017. He replaced Martin Kobler (Germany), who ended his tenure as my Special Representative and Head of UNSMIL on 30 June.

Implementation of Libyan Political Agreement

5. UNMSIL continued to engage with Libyan stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive political process to address the contentious issues in the Libyan Political Agreement. On 24 April 2017, the House of Representatives announced the formation of a 24-member dialogue committee, including three women. On 9 May, the High State Council announced its own 13 member committee, including one woman. Although the two committees have not met together formally since their formation, several members of the two committees met for informal consultations in The Hague on 23 May and 7 July under the auspices of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. On 15 July, Prime Minister Faiez Serraj, in his personal capacity, proposed a transitional road map, incorporating, inter alia, a call for a ceasefire throughout Libya and the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections in March 2018.

Regional and international engagement

6. Concerned Member States, including Libya’s neighbours, States members of the European Union and regional organizations, continued their efforts to advance the Libyan political process and bridge divides among key stakeholders. On 8 May 2017, my former Special Representative attended the eleventh meeting of the neighbouring States of Libya at the ministerial level, which was held in Algiers. The Ministers for Foreign Affairs affirmed the need to resolve the political crisis through inclusive dialogue and welcomed the recent meetings between the heads of Libyan national institutions.

7. On 23 May 2017, the European Union hosted the second meeting of the Quartet (African Union, European Union, League of Arab States and United Nations) in Brussels. UNSMIL also provided support for the visits of the High Representative of the African Union for Libya, former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, and a ministerial delegation from the High-Level Committee of the African Union on Libya, during which they met with Libyan stakeholders with a view to moving the political process forward.

8. On 6 June 2017, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia met for the second time to discuss support for reconciliation efforts in Libya under the leadership of the United Nations. On 2 July, during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, the High-level Committee of the African Union met for the third time to promote a common approach to a political solution to the crisis.

9. During the reporting period a number of initiatives were pursued by Member States in support of the political process. On 21 April 2017, Italy hosted the first meeting between the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Head of the High State Council. Building on previous efforts by Egypt, on 2 and 3 May, Prime Minister Serraj and General Khalifa Haftar met in Abu Dhabi. On 25 July, the President of France hosted a second bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Serraj and General Haftar, which resulted in the issuance of a declaration calling for a ceasefire, an inclusive political dialogue to enable the effective implementation of the Libyan Political Agreement and the holding of elections. On 20 and 31 July, Egypt convened meetings to facilitate dialogue between military delegations from Misrata and the Libyan National Army.