The Acting Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Stephanie Khoury, is set to deliver her first briefing to the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
This follows a series of meetings she has held with various Libyan parties since taking over from Senegalese diplomat Abdoulaye Bathily, who resigned during his last briefing to the council on April 16.
UNSMIL announced Khoury’s upcoming briefing on their Facebook page, noting that it is scheduled for 4 PM Tripoli time on Wednesday. Khoury is expected to discuss the outcomes of her meetings in Libya, as well as political, security, and humanitarian developments. She will also outline the mission’s objectives for the coming period.
The Security Council will also discuss the appointment of a new UN envoy to Libya, succeeding Bathily. However, political disagreements among council members could complicate this process. It took nearly a year to appoint Bathily following the resignation of the previous envoy, Jan Kubis, in 2021.
Libya’s political process is currently in a state of stagnation as Khoury begins her tenure. The American diplomat is striving to bring Libyan factions to the negotiation table to resolve contentious issues surrounding elections. Last week, Khoury reiterated UNSMIL’s commitment to “helping Libyans launch an inclusive process to end the political deadlock and achieve lasting peace and stability.”
Libya has been in turmoil since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. The country is divided between rival governments and militias, leading to frequent conflicts and a prolonged civil war. The UN has been actively involved in mediating peace and facilitating political dialogue to stabilize the country.
The position of the UN envoy to Libya has been particularly challenging, with frequent changes and difficulties in appointing new envoys due to political disagreements among UN Security Council members. The last permanent envoy, Jan Kubis, resigned in late 2021, and it took almost a year to appoint Abdoulaye Bathily, who himself resigned in April 2023.
Khoury’s efforts in the past weeks have focused on engaging with various Libyan factions to understand their perspectives and facilitate political dialogue. Her upcoming briefing to the UN Security Council is highly anticipated, as it will provide insights into the current situation in Libya and the steps needed to move forward.
