Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Statement by Gennady Kuzmin, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, at the open VTC of UNSC Member-States on ICC report (Libya)

Mr. President,

We took note of the briefing of the ICC Prosecutor , Ms. Bensouda, as well as her 19th Report on the progress in the investigation of the situation in Libya.

We are concerned that the situation in Libya remains tense, and efforts to stabilize it have been stalled. We are convinced that military solution is not an option for Libya. But there is no easy way to settle the conflict, which is already 9 years old. It is rooted in the events of 2011, when the UN Security Council resolution was grossly distorted and violated, which led to the destruction of Libyan statehood and continued suffering of civilian population.

It is our firm conviction that the way forward is returning to impartial diplomatic work, cooperation and mutual support to help parties to engage in negotiations. In this regards we would like to remind that it must be a Libya-owned dialogue and no decision should be imposed from outside. In our work we should be guided by the principles of respect for Libya’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. It is up to the Libyans to determine the future of their country.

At the same time, it is impossible to overestimate the importance of the UN’s central role in the settlement in this country. We pay tribute to Ghassan Salame and call upon the Secretary-General to appoint his new Special Representative as soon as possible for the sake of Libyan peace process.

We would also like to use this opportunity and call on all parties to the conflict in Libya for cessation of hostilities in order to enable joint approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic and respect international humanitarian law.

Now turning back to the Prosecutor’s Report. There’s a big question: what is the role of the ICC in helping to restore peace in Libya and bringing perpetrators to justice?

 The ICC has been handling the situation for 9 years. We recall that the activity of prosecutor was once very dynamic during the short period of time in 2011 before the foreign invasion in this country. Once Mr.Kaddafi was ousted, the ICC identified a couple of fugitives and mostly lost its interest in the situation. If one starts to evaluate the situation in Libya on the basis of the ICC Prosecutor’s reports, he or she may discover a number of parties to this armed conflict which go unnoticed and apparently excused. Coalition’s bombing and destructions are still invisible for the Prosecutor. Even ISIL fighters, whose destructive role in this country was recognized by the Council, somehow appeared outside ICC scope of engagement.  

The activities of the ICC in Libya become increasingly irrelevant. We are convinced that international community and the Security Council should concentrate their efforts on helping to restore peace in Libya. When peace is firmly established, Libyans can decide for themselves how to address the issue of justice.

Thank you.