Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at a UNSC Briefing on Libya
Madam President,
Before I begin my statement, I would like to join those in this chamber who extended today the congratulations on the International Day of Women in Diplomacy. Without women diplomats, it would be difficult to imagine the work of the UN and the Security Council in maintaining international peace and security. We are very grateful to you, happy to work with you, and wish you every success and new achievements.
Madam President,
We are grateful to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ms. Hanna Tetteh for her briefing.
The course of developments in Libya over the past few months attests to stagnation of the political process, continued fragmentation of the political landscape, and a lack of progress in establishing sustained dialogue between key political forces. Libyan leaders are still unable to reach mutually acceptable agreements vis-a-vis the parameters for the future expression of the will of the people, which is why the prospect for holding general elections is becoming increasingly remote. The internal “deadlock” is likely to result in further economic deterioration and growing instability on the ground. Overcoming the divide requires both commitment and will on the part of key Libyan stakeholders, and this is precisely what international efforts to support the Libyan political process should be focused on.
The Libyan players’ inability to reach agreement amongst themselves is something that continues to chip away at the country's security architecture. The Libyan capital is still being hit by the aftershocks of the unprecedented magnitude of clashes between armed groups that occurred in early May this year. Residents of the western regions of the country continue to suffer from sporadic armed clashes between armed groups. Overall, the situation remains highly charged.
In this regard, we note the establishment by the Libyan Presidential Council of a Temporary Committee for Security and Military Arrangements in Tripoli, as well as a committee to monitor the work of prisons and conditions of detention. These steps are portrayed as a comprehensive plan to restore order among Libyan security forces, to curb the lawlessness by armed groups that are rampant in the capital, and to resolve the long-standing problem of so-called “private prisons” which are not under the state oversight. We welcome such steps by the Libyans to stabilize the situation. At the same time, we emphasize that comprehensive peace “on the ground” will only be established following long-term painstaking work to unite the Libyan armed forces and fully reintegrate former combatants into official structures. It is not enough for armed groups to simply “change their labels” while preserving the right to exert limited violence – this will only trigger new incidents similar to what transpired back in May.
Madam President,
The current security situation is a direct consequence of the political divide in the former Jamahiriya. At present, the resumption of a truly inclusive political process appears to be the only realistic scenario for extricating the country out of crisis. At the same time, we are convinced that the effectiveness of any steps taken by the international community directly hinges on how positive these very steps will be embraced by the Libyan people themselves. Against this backdrop, it is alarming that, as far as we can judge, the results of the work of the Advisory Commission have not been positively evaluated by the majority of reputable political forces in the country.
No “recipes” for saving Libya can be imposed on Libyans from on high, even if these recipes come from the UN. The role of the United Nations in this process is not to substitute the will of the Libyan people, but rather to facilitate the establishment of conditions for sustained dialogue. In this context, we support the mediation efforts by Special Representative Tetteh and welcome her intention to begin working on a comprehensive road map for the Libyan settlement. In order to promptly normalize the situation in Libya, this guiding document should be thoroughly worked through with all Libyan stakeholders, so that they support it and be ready to engage in the implementation of the provisions thereof.
In addition, there is a need to extend support for existing inter-Libyan formats. In particular, we see significant potential in cooperation between the House of Representatives and the High Council of State at the interparliamentary level, with Egypt acting as a mediator. What is also important is the national reconciliation track under the auspices of the African Union. We believe that it is also crucial for the UN to provide assistance in these processes.
Madam President,
In the current circumstances, of particular significance could be inclusive international formats in support of the Libyan settlement. We are referring, first and foremost, to the Berlin Process on Libya, which has not met in its original inclusive configuration since 2021. Instead, for several years we have observed attempts by a number of Western countries to replace the Berlin process with various forms of separate and non-transparent “gatherings” that have no political or practical value for the settlement process. We are heartened by the fact that this trend has finally been reversed.
We welcome the fact that, on June 20, for the first time in quite a while, the German capital hosted a plenary meeting of the International Follow-up Commission, which was attended, inter alia, by representatives of Russia. We thank Ms. Tetteh for her contribution organizing this event. We see further work within the Berlin process as a way to provide more effective assistance to the Libyans and bring them to constructive solutions. We do hope that this meeting will put paid to the nefarious practice of holding “closed” meetings of the co-chairs of the working groups within the Berlin format without inviting or even properly informing other parties. Any discussions should be conducted with the involvement of all participants in the format, in a spirit of respect for collective agreements and with a view to genuinely supporting Libyan efforts.
In conclusion, I would reiterate our willingness to engage constructively with the Libyans and all parties concerned to promptly restore peace and stability in Libya.
Thank you.
