“Libyan parties need to compromise and agree on a pathway to achieve Parliamentary and Presidential elections,” the British Ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Woodward expressed her concern about the recent violence in Tripoli and Misrata, and called for a de-escalation. “Preservation of peace has been one of the successes of the past two years,” she said. “There needs to be de-escalation to ensure this relative peace continues,” the British diplomat said.
She added that these events, coupled with the protests that took place earlier this month demonstrate the urgent need for the delivery of a Libyan-led and –owned, inclusive political process.
The Ambassador urged Libyan actors to refrain from the politicisation of state institutions, including the National Oil Corporation (NOC). “The Libyan people need to see the full resumption of oil production and the equitable distribution of the state’s oil wealth. However, this should not come at the expense of the integrity and independence of the NOC, or jeopardise Libya’s progress towards stability, sovereignty, and national unity,” she stressed.
Woodward also called on the authorities to respect and protect human rights across Libya.
She confirmed that the United Kingdom remains “very concerned about human rights abuses and violations identified in the latest interim report of the Fact-Finding Mission, and recent crackdowns on civil society. Libyan authorities must build and deliver mechanisms for the safeguarding of human rights, and enable civil society to flourish as a key component of accountability.”
To conclude, she reaffirmed London’s readiness to work with Libya, and all international partners on a constructive way forward, both on the ground and at the Security Council.
Notably, the Security Council meeting took place ahead of the end of the mandate for the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on 31 July, which includes a Joint Military Commission monitoring of the 2020 ceasefire agreement.