9 April 2021

AS PREPARED

Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Members of the Legal Committee

Allow me first to congratulate you on the holy month of Ramadan that is approaching us in a few days. I wish you and your families a peaceful Ramadan filled with blessing and happiness.

I am happy to be with you today. You have accomplished a lot over the past few days, reaching an agreement on important principles and elements for the constitutional basis for elections. I know that this work is the fruit of intense discussions and that you had to often overcome strong divisions.  Some of the underlying political differences continue to divide you.

It is my hope that also in the remaining session you will be guided by the sense of responsibility towards your country and future generations, as you have done before in Tunis and Geneva, and that you will find the courage to compromise.

I urge you to make an effort to reach a sound compromise, to identify the most coherent and consensual way to consolidate your discussions and present a report to the LPDF which will gather your points of agreement and highlights the outstanding issues. I encourage you to focus on a clear outcome.

UNSMIL intends to facilitate soon a virtual plenary meeting of the LPDF to discuss your proposals.

All of us that are fully committed to holding of the presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December 2021 – the people of Libya, the LPDF that confirmed it in its Roadmap and the broad international community, including USMIL – must make the respective authorities and institutions of Libya fully responsible for creating on time all necessary legal, organizational and security conditions for the elections in order to enable every Libyan voter and candidate to freely practice their democratic rights. It is their duty, it is their responsibility, it is them who are accountable to you, to the people of Libya, and to the international community for their action, or the lack of it.

Only the elections on 24 December will help Libya to put an end to the period of transition, divisions, conflict and foreign interference, to move forward towards a better future. The Libyan people have the right to freely select their representatives and restore the unity and democratic legitimacy of their institutions. All people – women, men, youth, elders including displaced, all cultural components, everyone should have a chance to shape the future of Libya, their future, regardless of their status, views and political opinions.

And you, the LC, the LPDF are in the forefront of these efforts and paving the way forward.

Thank you for your efforts and attention.