Statement by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya Bernardino Leon

30 Jul 2015

Statement by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya Bernardino Leon

30 July 2015 - The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Libya, Bernardino Leon, met with a delegation from city of Azzawiya, including members of the House of Representatives, representatives the municipality and the revolutionaries, to consult on the next steps in the Libyan Political Dialogue.

The representatives of Azzawiya stressed their full support to the Libyan Political Agreement, as a real opportunity to solve the Libyan crisis, and their readiness to assist in its implementation, while proposing to clarify in essence any misunderstanding or ambiguity through annexes of the text.

During the meeting, SRSG Leon underlined that the following points:

1. The recent initialling of the Libyan Political Agreement is a major step towards the peaceful settlement of the Libyan crisis. The United Nations encourages all sides participating in the dialogue to become a full party to the agreement. The coming political dialogue session presents an opportunity for the parties to clarify misunderstandings or outstanding issues through the annexes.

2. The Libyan Political Agreement contains clear provisions on the activation and restructuring of security institutions, based on the principles of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. All decisions related to security institutions will be taken by consensus.

3. There is an urgent need for Libyan military officers, police officers and revolutionaries to agree on, and support, the implementation of interim security arrangements through the security track of the dialogue. A safe and secure environment must be established in Tripoli, Benghazi and throughout Libya so that a government of national accord can function in an atmosphere free of threats and violence.

4. SRSG Leon welcomes the local ceasefire and reconciliation agreements concluded in western Libya, such as between Azzawiya and Zintan. SRSG Leon encourages all sides to swiftly take the necessary steps for the full implementation of these agreements.

5. The Libyan revolutionaries are committed to preventing terrorism, extremism and the recurrence of authoritarian rule. The implementation of the Libyan Political Agreement will allow them to contribute to this by joining professional and democratically controlled armed and security forces, or by integrating into civilian life.

6. SRSG Leon appreciates the role played by the Libyan revolutionaries during the February Revolution, and rejects describing them as terrorist militias as this would not contribute to the solution of the Libyan crisis.