Mr. President,
At the outset, I would like to thank the Special Representative, Mr. Abdoulaye Bathily, for his informative briefing and affirm the UAE’s support for his mandate and for UNSMIL’s efforts to find a lasting solution in Libya. We also welcome Ambassador Taher El-Sonni in our meeting today.
Mr. President,
In the context of our discussion today, I would like to focus on the following three key issues:
First, the international community must take a unified approach that is consistent with the Libyan people’s desire to find a Libyan-led solution and must support them in this pursuit. It is vital to build on the consensus and unity reflected in the Council’s recent renewal of UNSMIL’s mandate and to seriously consider reactivating UN initiatives, particularly the Berlin conference, that would include all concerned parties – most importantly the Libyan people. In conjunction with these efforts, we must keep in mind that the Special Representative needs to be given sufficient time and space to work with all parties and partners in Libya in order to reach a comprehensive settlement for the crisis. This means that the Council should discuss this file at the same pace outlined in resolution 2656, to give the Special Representative the opportunity to exercise his good offices.
Second, it is imperative to reach a resolution on the constitutional basis needed for the holding the parliamentary and presidential elections. In this respect, we stress the importance of taking actionable steps to achieve this requirement as soon as possible in order to meet the aspirations of the Libyan people, bring the transitional period to a conclusions, and achieve sustainable political stability.
Third, we welcome the efforts of the Special Representative in bringing together the members of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission, which recently met in Sirte. In this regard, we underscore the importance of maintaining the permanent ceasefire agreement, committing to de-escalation, and preventing military build-up. We also call for taking concrete steps towards unifying military institutions and repeat our previous calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries to ensure that clashes do not recommence.
In conclusion, the UAE renews its support for UN and international efforts to achieve peace, stability, and reconciliation in Libya in a way that meets the aspirations and hopes of the Libyan people.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Source: UAE Mission to UN