A3+ JOINT STATEMENT ON THE UNITED NATIONS SUPPORT MISSION IN LIBYA (UNSMIL)

  Delivered by H.E. Ambassador Amar Bendjama,

Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations at United Nations Security Council on (UNSMIL)

24th June 2025

Madam President,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+, namely Guyana, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and my own country, Algeria.

We thank SRSG and Head of UNSMIL, Hanna Tetteh, for her insightful briefing.

We reaffirm our support for her noble duties in the service of the Libyan people.

We also welcome the participation of the distinguished representative of Libya in this meeting.

Madam President,

Two months ago, we addressed this Council to warn of the increasing fragility of the situation in Libya, where years of political paralysis continue to cast a long shadow over the country.

Today, we meet again against the backdrop of alarming developments in the capital, Tripoli, following renewed armed clashes in mid-May that have posed serious risks and underscored the urgency of finding a sustainable path forward.

We emphasize the urgent need for dialogue and restoring state authority, urging an end to all armed activities outside law frameworks.

We welcome the Presidential Council’s steps to de-escalate tensions, including the creation of a truce committee and imposing a ban on armed movements in Tripoli. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed and are greatly appreciated.

On the political front, we take note of the UNSMIL Advisory Committee’s recommendations, and we urge all Libyan stakeholders to engage constructively with the Mission.  

We call for a credible, Libyan-owned and Libyan-led political process, supported by the UN that leads to free and fair national elections and the unification of Libya’s institutions.

We also acknowledge the convening, in Berlin, on June 20th, 2025, of the International Follow-Up Committee on Libya, which focused on advancing the political track and preserving the ceasefire. 

Madam President,

The A3+ is deeply concerned about Libya’s worsening economic crisis, aggravated by the absence of a unified budget and poor governance.

We note that Libya plans to open 22 areas for oil exploration and development for the first time in nearly two decades. It is essential that this process be conducted in a transparent manner that benefits the Libyan people.

In addition, the A3+ expresses grave concern over the continued erosion of Libya’s frozen assets, due to mismanagement and an outdated sanctions framework.

We stress the urgent need for the Council to adopt calibrated reforms that promote the growth of the Libyan sovereign fund.

We also call for the full and timely implementation of paragraph 14 of Resolution 2769, which authorizes the Libyan Investment Authority to reinvest its frozen cash reserves.

Those assets should be preserved to benefit the Libyan people at a later stage.

Madam President,

The recent military clashes in the triangular borders between Libya, Sudan, and Egypt highlight the growing risk of the regionalization of the conflict, with Libya becoming a battlefield for proxy wars.

In this regard, we reiterate our call for an end to all external interference in Libya’s affairs.  We also demand the unconditional and immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries from Libyan territory.

Libya’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity must be respected.

At the same time, the 3+1 underscores the crucial role of Libya’s neighbors in fostering stability and promoting reconciliation, in close coordination with the UN and the African Union.

Madam President,

Without a political solution, Libya’s situation grows more fragile, slipping deeper into uncertainty with each day lacking a political solution, every silence a burden on its people, every delay a missed opportunity.

The dream of democracy, declared in this very chamber more than a decade ago, now lingers as a distant echo.

We, therefore, urge the Security Council to assume its historical responsibilities by standing with Libya and empowering its people to shape the brighter future they truly deserve. 

I thank you.