Geneva, 19 October 2020 - The fourth round of the Libyan (5+5) Joint Military Commission (JMC) talks began this morning at the Palais des Nations in Geneva with the presence and participation of the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (ASRSG) and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ms. Stephanie Williams.

The work of the 5+5 JMC, the security track, is one of the three intra-Libyan tracks that UNSMIL is working on, along with the economic and political tracks, which emerged from the 2020 Berlin Conference on Libya. These tracks were endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2510 (2020), which called on both parties to reach an agreement for a permanent ceasefire.  

The launching of this round of talks is marked by in person meetings between the delegations of the two parties to the conflict in Libya. The meeting began with the playing of the Libyan national anthem, followed by opening remarks by the ASRSG and the heads of both delegations.

The deliberations of this round will continue until the 24^th of this month. UNSMIL hopes that the two delegations will reach a solution to all outstanding issues in order to achieve a complete and permanent ceasefire across Libya.

On this occasion, UNSMIL recalls the appeal of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, on 23 March, calling for a global ceasefire and for all warring parties to put aside  feelings of mistrust and to repudiate all hostilities. 

On this occasion, UNSMIL appreciates the leadership of both parties for facilitating this round of talks. It also thanks the members of both delegations for traveling to Geneva during these unusual conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.