The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has intensified its efforts to build consensus around its newly announced political roadmap, with a team from the mission meeting several members of the Libyan House of Representatives from the southern and western regions.
According to a statement published on UNSMIL’s official Facebook page, the discussions focused on key elements of the roadmap introduced last month by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh. The plan seeks to unify Libya’s divided institutions and create the conditions for holding inclusive national elections.
Roadmap Steps and Priorities
The UN team outlined the step-by-step approach underpinning the plan. Initial priorities include completing the formation of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) by filling vacant seats on its board, and updating the legal framework to guarantee the credibility of future elections.
The roadmap also emphasizes institutional unification and gradual preparations to ensure a sustainable political transition. Lawmakers at the meeting expressed their support for UNSMIL’s mediation role, stressing their readiness to engage constructively in the political process.
Three Pillars for Libya’s Transition
In her briefing to the UN Security Council on August 21, Tetteh presented the roadmap’s three central pillars:
Developing a technically robust electoral framework.
Forming a unified government capable of overseeing the transition.
Launching a structured dialogue process that ensures broad Libyan participation.
She explained that implementation would follow a phased approach over 12 to 18 months. The first stage prioritizes strengthening the HNEC’s capacity and addressing the institutional and legal gaps that blocked the 2021 elections.
Libyan Lawmakers Signal Support
Members of Parliament representing southern and western Libya welcomed the UN’s initiative, affirming their commitment to cooperate with UNSMIL in facilitating a political settlement. Their backing is seen as vital in broadening legitimacy for the roadmap and bridging divides between different regions of the country.
With Libya still facing deep political and institutional fragmentation, the UN mission is seeking to secure wide-ranging consensus that could pave the way toward long-delayed national elections and a unified government.
