The Acting Head of the United Nations Support Mission to Libya (UNSMIL), Stephanie Williams, held a virtual meeting with the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) to announce the formation of a legal committee. This committee will be tasked with working on the necessary arrangements for the upcoming national elections, scheduled for 24 December 2021, as well as the discussion on the selection mechanism for the executive authority.
Williams briefed the participants on the progress made during the Libyan economic meeting that took place in Geneva, on 14-15 December. She noted that this economic committee will now convene on a regular basis to support the necessary reforms, aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Libyan people. This includes following up on the progress achieved during the long-awaited Central Bank of Libya (CBL) Board of Directors meeting held on 16 December, to unify the country’s exchange rate.
She also informed the participants of her briefing to the UN Security Council on 15 December in a closed session, echoing the call of the Security Council for LPDF participants to redouble their efforts. “A successful political process is essential for the stability and future prosperity of Libya,” she said.
Williams condemned what she described as “dangerous social media campaigns” actively targeting the LPDF process through propagating misleading and erroneous information.
Addressing participants, Williams warned that, “this is your process, and you have the main responsibility to protect it. I urge you not to engage in or encourage such destructive attempts that aim to disrupt your efforts and deny the Libyan people a unique opportunity for peace and prosperity.”
In her closing remarks, she praised the spirit of unity that characterized today’s meeting and thanked the participants for the thorough discussion. The participants laid out their views and proposals on the most suitable method to move forward and finalize the decision on the selection mechanism for the executive authority. This authority will be tasked to lead the preparatory period, ahead of the scheduled national elections.