Excerpts from SRSG for Libya Bernardino Leon’s Press Conference in Skhirat Morocco, 19 April 2015

19 Apr 2015

Excerpts from SRSG for Libya Bernardino Leon’s Press Conference in Skhirat Morocco, 19 April 2015

Good morning to everybody. We have just finished a new round of talks. And I can tell you that we have now a draft which looks like something very close to a final agreement. Eighty percent of the text in this draft is, let me put it this way, is something that the parties can agree. It doesn’t mean that there will not be fine-tuning on this 80 percent, 90 percent of the text, but it is something that the parties can agree. There are still elements which are in brackets, which are things that the parties need to further consult.

Maybe they can accept, but they have to go back to their constituencies and they will come back in the coming days - hopefully not this coming week but the following one - and our request to them is that this is to finalize the agreement, to leave a text that can be the final text of the agreement.

This is the good news. But not everything is good news. We still have difficulties on the ground. There is still fighting in different areas in the country, and in the capital. There are reports of more terrorist activities by ISIS. This is still unconfirmed, but there are very concerning news today about this terrorist activity, and we know that the enemies of peace, the enemies of the agreement will be active and will be more active in the coming days and weeks.

Again the United Nations, the international community would like to insist on the importance on the one hand of being determined to continue with the dialogue and to reach the agreement in the coming days and on the other hand on sending a very strong message to all those who want to undermine the political process, who want to promote a military solution or chaos in Libya, that they will not prevail.

I wanted also to tell you that we will try to convene the tracks that have not met so far. We are preparing a meeting of the security track in the coming days. We have not yet agreed the date but we would like to be next week. This will be the first time that the armed groups, the people who are holding weapons and who are fighting on the ground might meet. We want this meeting to be face to face, not proximity talks, but direct talks, with the support and sponsorship of the United Nations. Of course, we are getting very close. This is very important because all this work, all these efforts will not work, will be useless if we don’t bring completely onboard all those who are taking decisions on the ground, who are fighting on the ground.

This is a very important element. And at the same time we also hope to convene a meeting of the tribal elders, of the tribes in the coming days. This is also another important track that has to meet and has to provide the support to what we are doing.

This is the situation. I would like once again to thank our host the Kingdom of Morocco, His Majesty the King, and all the people who are around here, helping us, helping you, their role is so important. And at the same time thank the international community, the ambassadors that have been here supporting our work. It is also a very important message from the international community to the Libyans.

Q: 20 percent of elements left, can you tell us about it?

Leon: Let me keep the discretion of the elements that have to be discussed.

In general, the remaining points, the ones that require more attention in the coming days are those related to the competences of the different institutions and the separation of powers, which is one very important element of the text. Security issues, this is equally important. More clarification on some elements of the agreement. I would say that these are the most important questions. But let me be discreet, I think we have to give the parties the time and the conditions of discretion to work on this text and then to get back.