On Sunday the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) welcomed the National Oil Corporation’s (NOC) announcement that it would lift the force majeure on El-Sharara oil field.
In a statement, UNSMIL added that the resumption of Libya’s largest oil field was due to the country’s improved security situation. It also stressed the importance of ensuring the non-political nature of Libya’s resources. The UN mission stressed that the effective management of oil revenues is a shared national interest. It also confirmed that the NOC’s decision reflects the constructive atmosphere created in the lead-up to the intra-Libyan military, and political talks.
Notably, the acting UNSMIL head, Stephanie Williams, announced the resumption of inclusive intra-Libyan talks. These are based on Security Council resolution 2510 (2020), which endorsed the conclusions of the Berlin Conference on Libya, held on 19 January 2020.
Williams added that the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) will be held according to a hybrid formula. This will be through a series of face-to-face meetings, as well as virtual sessions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She voiced her thanks to the Tunisian government for hosting the first face-to-face meeting of the LPDF in early November. “The overall objective of the LPDF will be to generate consensus on a unified governance framework. This includes arrangements that will lead to the holding of national elections in the shortest possible timeframe, in order to restore Libya’s sovereignty, and the democratic legitimacy of Libyan institutions”, UNSMIL stated.