Statement by Representative of Slovenia to the UN Security Council Ambassador Samuel Žbogar at the briefing on the situation in Libya

Thank you very much Madam President, and thanks also to Special Representative for his briefing today. We support your ongoing efforts. Thanks also to Ambassador Yamazaki for his briefing, and I also want to welcome the Libyan Ambassador in this chamber.

Firstly, Slovenia regrets the fact that there has been limited progress on the political track since we last met in the Council on this situation. We are concerned about persisting divisions and instability. The latter should not become the norm or the status quo. And we are also concerned about impressions among the population of weakening international consensus, as just reported by the Special Representative.

The way forward can only be political. The Libyan people want to choose their own leadership through a democratic process, and it is the responsibility of all actors to show the political will required to engage in good faith and without preconditions with the UN efforts, and move swiftly towards elections.

We call on all key Libyan leaders to nominate their representatives to engage in the Special Representative’s preparatory meetings, without further delay. We repeat our commitment to the unity of Libya and a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned process under UN auspices.

A critical element of the democratic process in Libya will be the holding of elections at the local level. We very much welcome the announcement by the High National Elections Commission of its intention to organise municipal council elections across Libya this year. There should be no barrier to these elections taking place, and we call on the Libyan authorities to do everything in their power to ensure they happen freely, fairly and safely in 2024, as envisaged. This includes disbursing the necessary funding required.

Secondly, we know very well that what happens in Libya affects the region and what happens in the region affects Libya. And we are in no doubt that the region is facing numerous significant challenges and this should inspire all to speed the surge for progress in political processes.

The recent return of several hundred fighters from Chad is a positive development, however crises in Libya’s neighbourhood continue to impact progress across the various tracks, including security. We recall the need for the withdrawal of all foreign fighters, mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya.

Thirdly, we welcome all efforts to advance genuine dialogue between Libyan actors, including those by regional organisations and stakeholders, and the broader international community. But we note with concern the SRSG’s warning on Libya becoming a playground for rivalries.

The efforts of the international community should be fully harnessed to deliver a political transition in Libya. We also stress that these efforts should be unified, and wholly complementary to the UN process.

A final point Madam President: I wish to note that we were deeply distressed to learn of the discovery of a mass grave with 65 migrants’ bodies in southwest Libya last month. Trafficking networks continue to exploit the most vulnerable and this requires our collective efforts to combat.

We welcome the commitment of the Libyan authorities to investigating this horrific incident – accountability must be ensured. We call for thorough investigations into all reported incidents of misconduct and human rights violations and abuses against migrants, including those held in Libyan detention centres. UNSMIL and UN bodies should have full access to these facilities.

Thank you.

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