New York, 24 October 2022
Mr. President,
We welcome the SRSG Bathily in this meeting, and wish him all the best in his important task. I wish to assure him of our full support to his efforts at this critical moment for Libyans.
We would like to believe that his arrival in Tripoli and engagement with the authorities, Libyan stakeholders, and civil society will inject a new momentum into the stalled political process in the country.
Libya needs just that: a positive energy and a strong push towards finding solutions instead of creating new problems and tensions which, as we have seen, lead quickly to escalations.
We believe that inclusive and extensive consultations to find a compromise acceptable to all parties will help implement the UNSMIL Independent Strategic Review, which Albania supports.
We expect the Council to show support and ensure that the UNSMIL mandate to be soon renewed for one year, be truly effective, equipped with the necessary resources.
Getting Libya out of the current deadlock is a challenging task, and it needs the best and continued efforts of all those involved, primarily this Council.
Albania strongly believes that elections are the only way forward. Legitimacy can only be secured through election and this is what the Libyans need, what they want and deserve, as the only way forward to start establishing democracy in the country and to preserve its unity and integrity.
It is therefore imperative that Libyan stakeholders come together around an agreement on a constitutional basis to create the necessary conditions for inclusive, free, and fair elections. It will open a new chapter and the country needs it desperately; it will create the conditions to establish the government and decide in fairness on the equitable allocation of national resources.
We welcome the resumption of dialogue between the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the High Council of State in recent days. In such key moments filled with uncertainty, high tension but also high stakes, time is of the essence.
Leaders should be aware of the immense power and responsibility they have: an agreement, which everyone expects, will lead to another and a better Libya where everyone can be a winner. Instead, failure will make everyone loose: loose hope and patience and risk bringing the country back to chaos.
Libyans deserve better than an endless political impasse, filled with heightened rhetoric in a zero-sum political game.
It is equally essential that all international efforts in support of the Libyan-led and Libyan-owned stabilization process remain firmly anchored under the UN lead. It is the best way to put an end to the long and destructive divisions and polarizations that have afflicted the country for over a decade.
Efforts towards national reconciliation and the support provided by the regional actors in this regard should be maintained. A genuine and long-lasting national reconciliation process must be based on the principles of transitional justice in respect of the rights and needs of all Libyans, including victims of violations and abuses.
Mr. President,
Respect for human rights in Libya remains still a serious concern, including limits to the freedom of expression. The free voice and the active participation of civil society, of human rights defenders, as well as of women and youth, are essential elements for healthy open societies.
We remain concerned about the humanitarian situation in Libya, especially of migrants, refugees and IDP-s, as mentioned by the SRSG. The recent arrests of two key suspects for crimes against victims of human trafficking and human smuggling in Libya is the right approach and more should be done in this respect.
Therefore, we do believe that UNSMIL should play a stronger role in countering human rights violations and abuse and promoting respect of rule of law and humanitarian law, in accordance with the Independent Strategic Review of 2021.
We know that democracy is a process, neither easy not quick. It remains an empty word, a theoretical concept without respect for human rights, without institutions based on law, without an independent justice system and an open and lively society, as key pillars.
This is of paramount importance for a country whose people have suffered so much in the past.
I thank you.
