Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Saša Jurečko at the UNSC meeting on the situation in Libya

Thank you Mr. President.

We also thank Special Representative Tetteh for her briefing, the first to the Council. Ms. Tetteh, we look forward to working with you in this role and we express full support for your efforts to forge political consensus towards a united, stable and democratic Libya. We urge all stakeholders to engage with the Special Representative in good faith, and in the necessary spirit of compromise. We also welcome the representative of Libya to this meeting.

President,

As stated in February, Slovenia views the establishment of an Advisory Committee as a positive step and an opportunity to revive an inclusive political process, which is Libyan led and owned and can take the country to long-overdue national elections. We look forward to the Committee’s final report and proposals later this month.

At the same time, we remain concerned by the ongoing volatile security and economic situation in Libya, and persisting political divisions. In particular, we note the need to reach agreement on a unified national budget.

We call on all actors to prioritise the national interest and commit to measures, which will stabilise the economy, as well as to undertaking transparent economic reform, which is responsive to the needs of the Libyan people.

We welcome the efforts of the economic work group of the Berlin Process, and the commitment of UNSMIL to engage on economic issues. We believe that the UNSMIL-facilitated agreement reached last September on the Central Bank can and should be built upon.

President,

The alarming erosion of humanitarian space that we are seeing unfold across the region and globally, regrettably also appears to have now intensified in Libya. Slovenia is deeply concerned by recent actions of the Libyan authorities against international NGOs and humanitarian organisations operating in Libya. We believe that these actions can seriously undermine humanitarian efforts in the country, at a time when needs continue to override the capacities on the ground.

International humanitarian law mandates the protection of humanitarians and the facilitation of their vital work to assist vulnerable populations. They should be enabled to operate freely and safely, without bureaucratic delays and movement restrictions.

The continued arrival of Sudanese refugees to Libya, and their heightened vulnerability, is a clear demonstration of this imperative. We recognize the important role played by local authorities in responding to the needs of Sudanese refugees, and we urge national authorities to fully facilitate the response effort, strengthen coordination and ensure consistency of movement procedures. We likewise condemn any misinformation campaigns and incitement of hate speech against refugees and migrants.

Furthermore, we call for an end to arbitrary arrests and detentions in Libya, the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained individuals and for all those responsible for human rights violations and abuses against them to be held to account.

Finally, President, we believe that achieving the goals and aspirations of the Libyan people for a safe and secure future involves a collective effort to uphold the UN arms embargo and prevent the illicit transfer of weapons into the country. The European Union’s Operation IRINI is a concrete contribution to this, and the only actor currently carrying out this work.  

Operation IRINI represents the EU’s commitment and active support to peace and stability in Libya, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and international law. We look forward to upcoming discussions on the renewal of Resolution 2722, which authorises inspections on the high seas off the coast of Libya, next month. 

I thank you.

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