Joint Statement
By His Excellency Michel Xavier BIANG,
Ambassador, Permanent Representative on behalf of the A3
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING ON THE SITUATION IN LIBYA (UNSMIL)
WEDNESDAY, 16 MARCH 2022 (10:00AM)
Thank you, Madam President,
1. I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of the A3, namely Gabon, Ghana and Kenya.
2. We thank Under Secretary General, Rosemary Di Carlo, and Amb. Tirumurti, Chair of the 1970 Committee and Dr. Jazia Jibril for their briefings and welcome the participation of the Representative of Libya.
Madam President,
3. Listening to the people of Libya, we have repeatedly heard their keen desire for a secure environment in which to pursue their social, economic and political aspirations. In the past one and a half years, they have made significant progress in their peace process.
4. The current political stalemate in Libya is, therefore, of great concern to us. It threatens to erode the gains that have been painstakingly attained. This will also negatively affect progress in the other tracks of the peace process. It is important that the stalemate is quickly broken.
5. We are also concerned by the reported increased movements of armed groups around Tripoli. We urge for calm and restraint from all parties. And call on them to utilise the mediation channels on offer by the United Nations, the African Union, neighbouring states and other partners of goodwill.
6. We acknowledge and support the desire of the people of Libya to hold elections. We salute them for registering in large numbers as voters. It is important that the elections are grounded in a constitutional framework that enjoys the widest possible consensus. We therefore propose that the efforts of the United Nations and international partners be focused on the following three imperatives:
7. First is National dialogue and reconciliation: The A3 has consistently underscored the importance of prioritising national dialogue and reconciliation as the only sustainable means of breaking the political stalemate.
8. It is important that national dialogue and reconciliation is mainstreamed into all stages and tracks and elements of the peace process, such as the unification of national institutions and the implementation of the Comprehensive Action Plan of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission of 8th October 2021.
9. We also urge that the process is inclusive of all stakeholders, including women and the youth, as an essential ingredient for ownership and acceptability of outcomes.
10. We encourage the Libyan people to use the support of the Secretary General’s good offices, the African Union and other partners of good will in carrying out the national dialogue and reconciliation.
11. Secondly is a responsive UNSMIL mandate: The United Nations Support Mission in Libya has the mandate to support the Libya peace process. To empower the Mission to effectively respond to the demands of the peace process through its evolving phases, there is need to undertake the recommendations of the independent strategic review conducted last year. We encourage Members of this Council to work towards