Mr. President, Excellencies, members of the Security Council.

Our meeting takes place after 26 Libyan municipalities successfully went to the polls on 16 August in spite of some significant challenges. I would like to commend the dedication of the electoral management body HNEC, their staff and teams in the polling stations and the security officials for making the elections possible. I would also like to call on all candidates to accept the election results as the choices made by their voters, and where there have been choices for change to facilitate the transfer of power to the newly elected leaders. For those who maintain the confidence of their electorate, I would like to commend them for their leadership.

Regrettably, not all municipalities that were expected to conduct elections were able to do so. In the morning of election day, the House of Representatives-appointed government in the East gave instructions to suspend electoral processes in 16 municipalities, and across the east and south and voting materials were withdrawn from centers. This situation clearly exemplifies the challenge of having divided institutions and follows their earlier decision in July to suspend holding elections in 11 other municipalities including Benghazi, Sabha, Sirte and Tobruk. I urge the de facto authorities in the East to allow the resumption of these elections as soon as possible.

There were efforts to disrupt elections in some municipalities in the West.  On  15 August, unknown individuals set fire to the HNEC offices in Zawiya destroying electoral materials. Those elections are rescheduled for 23 August. After armed and arson attacks on the HNEC offices in Zliten and Sahel Al Gharbi, respectively, elections proceeded smoothly. HNEC staff in Sahel Al Gharbi showed their commitment to conduct the polls by setting up their operations outside their burned offices, to allow voting to take place.

Mr. President, your Excellencies,

By the end of polling day, voter turnout was 71 per cent. This is a clear signal that the Libyan people are yearning to elect their representatives. In some cases, this was the first time any elections have happened since 2014. However, the suspension of municipal elections in eastern and southern Libya previously referenced is an equally clear sign that not all have the same committment to support Libya’s democratic development and there is an urgent need for a reset in the political process.

Mr. President,

The Advisory Committee established in February this year, presented its report to us in May. Since then and over the past three months, UNSMIL embarked on nation-wide consultations on the Advisory Committee outcomes, which laid out proposals for holding national elections and unifying State institutions. We engaged with key Libyan stakeholders, visited cities and met municipal authorities, we also held townhalls with broad cross sectoral representation. Participation was high, with those present clearly expressing their democratic aspirations, as well as their frustration with political developments over the last few years. The goal of our consultations was to hear as many Libyan voices as possible to inform the development of a roadmap that is realistic, politically implementable and responsive to the concerns of the Libyan people.

To further capture the views of Libyans and inform UNSMIL’s thinking on the roadmap, we  conducted an online survey, inviting the public to share their opinions on the Advisory Committee’s recommendations. After more than 22,500 responses, and with the caveat that this is poll was intended to provide an indication of respondents preferences, 42 per cent of respondents expressed their preference for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections with adjustments to the current electoral framework, as recommended by the Advisory Committee; 24 per cent for the formation of a constituent assembly to replace existing institutions,19 per cent for the adoption of a permanent constitution before elections, and 12 per cent supporting the holding of legislative elections only.

Libyan women and young people in our in-person and virtual engagements as well as in the poll reiterated their aspiration to meaningfully participate in determining Libya’s political future and emphasized the need for guaranteed representation, electoral safeguards, and inclusion in the decision-making bodies.

Mr. President, excellencies,

The message we clearly received was the desire to stop the cycles of repeated transitional periods; preserve and strengthen the unity of the country and its institutions; as well as to renew their legitimacy through presidential and legislative elections; and end what was frequently referenced as foreign interference. They demand a stronger voice through the political process to secure accountable governance - anchored in a permanent constitution.

Based on the Advisory Committee’s recommendations, the feedback from the Libyan people, as well as lessons learned from the failure of previous efforts of UNSMIL to hold elections in 2021, we are convinced that the political process should focus on guaranteeing general elections and the unification of institutions through a sequenced approach.

We propose a roadmap built around three core pillars: one, the implementation of a technically sound and politically viable electoral framework aimed at holding Presidential and Legislative elections; (2) unifying institutions through a new unified government; and (3), a structured dialogue that enables broad participation of Libyans to address the critical issues that need to be tackled in order to create a conducive environment for elections, shaping a shared vision and addressing long term drivers of conflict while underpinning short term efforts to unify institutions and enhance governance in key sectors.

This plan we envisage will be implemented gradually and as a package. The focus should be on a sequential process with milestones- where each step facilitates the successful implementation of the next step of the roadmap towards the organization of national elections. I will not set artificial timelines but believe that an overall timeframe of 12-18 months will be required for the successful completion of the roadmap, which will end in national elections. Hence, the following sequential steps: 

1. First, enhancing the capacity of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) by re-constituting its board of directors to fill existing vacancies and ensuring its financial independence to organize elections. 
2. In parallel, amending the legal and constitutional frameworks for holding legislative and presidential elections in order to address key issues that would facilitate the holding of both elections and addressing issues that contributed to the electoral failure in 2021.
3. Following these two prior steps which could be concluded over the next two months at most, if there were the political will to do so, there should be agreement on a new unified government, capable of creating a conducive environment for credible elections while managing key governance functions effectively.
4. This will be accompanied by the implementation of critical actions to support the operational readiness of HNEC, and address key issues around security, governance, economic management and reconciliation to facilitate the conduct of elections, and will enable tracking progress of the parties and institutions, including HNEC and security institutions.
5. In parallel, UNSMIL will convene a structured dialogue, to engage not just  political and security actors, but the Libyan people through the inclusion of civil society, academia, cultural components, women, youth and persons with disabilities as well of course as representatives from governance institutions to explore concrete solutions to ongoing governance challenges, issues that may hinder the electoral process and to lay the foundation for a national vision that will shape the path to long term stability.  This dialogue will produce recommendations to shape immediately policy changes on security sector, economic reforms, reconciliation and feed into the constitutional process on governance issues, which Libyans have identified through our continued engagement as critical and long overdue to address. 
6. Moreover, safeguards will be built into the roadmap so that if parties are delaying progress, alternatives can be pursued. As with municipal elections, there is always the risk that status quo actors may seize any opportunity to delay or derail the realization of the Libyan people’s democratic rights. Therefore, at any stage of the process, if there is obstruction by any parties, UNSMIL can and will take any necessary measures and seek the support of this Council to ensure that the process we want to embark on now can bring an end to successive transitions.

Mr. President,

We concur with the assessment by the Advisory Committee that the current electoral and constitutional framework requires limited but critical adjustments by the House of Representatives in consultation with the High Council of State, in accordance with the procedure set out in the Libyan Political Agreement. In this regard, we welcome resolution of the year-long dispute over the Presidency of the High Council of State, through the election of a Presidential Bureau, which we hope will enable the Council to function effectively and play its role in the political process. I encourage all members of the High Council of State to re-engage so that their views are represented.

The economic situation in Libya remains dire. Recent measures by the Central Bank of Libya and the Ministry of Finance - including initial automation of public salary payments in the area under GNU authority, a transparent foreign currency reservation platform, and the licensing of official exchange companies - represent commendable steps to improve financial oversight and curb the parallel exchange market

However, their positive impact will be limited if parallel public spending processes persist, and steps are not taken to address issues of persistent corruption.  UNSMIL reaffirms its call for a unified, realistic and balanced budget that reflects agreed priorities and promotes financial sustainability and monetary stability.   I also urge all concerned entities that receive public salaries throughout Libya to adhere to the automated public salary payment system.

The security situation in the country remains volatile, with increasing  militarization of all sides.  The situation in Tripoli remains of great concern. A fragile truce has been sustained following the clashes that took place in  mid-May 2025 , however we have credible reports that there have been some violations, which thankfully have not escalated. The standoff between the GNU and  the Deterrence Apparatus for Combating Organized Crime and Terrorism   has yet to be resolved and tensions remain high. I would like to urge representatives of both sides to resolve their outstanding issues through dialogue, and not to make  demands to each other that could amount to provocation. I commend ongoing Libyan mediation efforts in this regard through the Security and Military Arrangement Committee and the Truce Committee which UNSMIL will continue to support. 

Mr. President,

UNSMIL documented 20 deaths in custody between March 2024 and August, with two occurring during this reporting period, including that of Abdel Munim Al-Maremi, a political activist, who died on 4 July 2025 while in custody in Tripoli, shortly after a release order had reportedly been issued. These cases are the latest examples of a widespread and persistent pattern of grave violations perpetrated across the country with impunity, including against migrants and refugees, in some cases fueled by disinformation and hate speech. I urge Libyan authorities to take the necessary measures to end these violations and I am alsoalarmed by the forced return of migrants to conflict zones, including Sudan. In Kufra, the number of Sudanese refugees exceeds the number of residents, It is no surprise that this is a source of tensions. conditions are dire. We urge the donor community to increase its support for our refugee response plan.

Mr. President, Distinguished Members of Council

During our public outreach through in-person meetings, online engagements and the polls there were many Libyans who urged UNSMIL to adopt option 4 of the Advisory committee report which would essentially bypass existing institutions and have a new constituent assembly. I see this as an expression of the anger, frustration and lack of trust in their leaders and institutions’ willingness to end Libya’s successive crises. This is the result of eleven years without national elections, that hold political office holders accountable to the Libyan people by giving them the opportunity to vote and give concrete expression to their assessment of their performance. What I am proposing is that working with these institutions, even though I acknowledge they are flawed, is the fastest track possible to achieve elections, while holding them accountable in front of the Libyan people. Our proposed  structured dialogue will allow for the Libyan people to be brought back to the center of this process, and we will also continue to conduct outreach throughout the entirety of the process to keep Libyans engaged and informed of ongoing developments, including where we have our difficulties.

I have no doubt that the path to implementation of the Roadmap will be filled with challenges. We will need the unequivocal support of this Council and other key external actors to contain spoilers and protect the process in order to prevent the mistakes of the past.  The international community has a critical role to play in helping the parties engage constructively to make the necessary compromises for the benefit of the Libyan people. Going forward, I will continue to engage with members of the International Follow up committee on Libya, also known as the Berlin Process, which remains a valid framework for international support to the political process.

Mr. President, Excellencies, members of Council

In closing, allow me to underline that the Libyan people look to this esteemed Council for help, to ensure a solution to the crisis and support a political process that will result in elections and unified institutions, not a succession of transitional governments. They look to this Council to hold spoilers accountable, including through sanctions if necessary. Your ability to speak and act with one voice is a message that I have no doubt will resonate across Libya. Respectfully, this voice should stand for the Libyan people and their legitimate aspirations for a stable, unified, and prosperous Libya and a Government of their choosing.