Mr. President,
 
Libya is approaching a key moment in its democratic transition. On 1 May, registration of voters opened for the election of a National Congress - the first election since those which took place under considerable limitations more than 45 years ago. By last night, the High National Elections Commission reported that some 1,024,000 voters had registered at over 1,500 registration centres throughout Libya. I will indicate later difficulties which face the electoral process, but this is no small achievement.

Tripoli 1 May 2012 - The United Nations Support Mission In Libya (UNSMIL) has raised concerns with the Libyan authorities, at the highest level, regarding the recent deaths of three individuals at the Zaroug detention center in Misrata, which is controlled by the Supreme Security Committee under the authority of the Ministry of Interior.