On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres to name a new Head for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
“We expect the Secretary-General of the United Nations to present a proper candidate to head the UN mission in Libya as soon as possible,” the Russian MoFA said in a statement on its official website.
According to the statement, the continued work of UNSMIL without a Head, agreed upon by members of the Security Council, “weakens the potential mediation and effectiveness of UN efforts to settle the Libyan crisis.”
“We are determined to find mutually acceptable solutions to the leadership of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya in order to ensure its full work in accordance with the mandate set forth in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the statement added.
It indicated that progress towards a long-term political settlement can only be achieved if its comprehensive nature is ensured, and all influential political powers in the country participate.
Accordingly, France’s Deputy Representative to the UN Security Council, Ambassador Nathalie Estival-Broadhurst has called for the appointment of a new Special Envoy to Libya without delay.
According to a tweet by the French Embassy, Broadhurst said that the appointment of the new envoy will enable UNSMIL to perform its tasks.
She added that Libya is passing through a critical stage in its political transition, after the postponement of the first round of the Presidential elections that were scheduled to take place on 24 December 2021.
“By voting in the Security Council in favour of extending the mission to April, France reaffirms its support for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. The Security Council must encourage the Libyans to resolve their differences to allow presidential and parliamentary elections to take place as soon as possible, in accordance with the roadmap of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), endorsed by Resolution 2570,” she said.
As members took the floor to explain their positions, many voiced regret that negotiations on the draft resolution failed to result in a substantive renewal of UNSMIL’s mandate, with updates and improvements to better facilitate its work.