Tripoli - New York: Europe and the Arabs

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Libya, Hannah Tetteh, said that the mini-meeting agreement and the political progress achieved in recent months in the country constitute an important milestone that demonstrates that constructive engagement can yield tangible results, warning that there are still major challenges nonetheless.
Tetteh was briefing a Security Council meeting on the situation in Libya, where she warned that “those challenges are exacerbated by the continued refusal of some parties to engage constructively, and the use of inflammatory rhetoric and misleading information.” According to what was stated in the United Nations daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received on Thursday morning
The UN official - who also heads the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) - warned that these practices threaten to harden political positions, undermine the willingness to make concessions, and attempt to justify unilateral measures that would undermine the political process or lead to violence.
The UN official was referring to the signing of an agreement by the parties participating in the “mini-meeting” on August 30, which “represents a breakthrough in the long-standing political and institutional stalemate,” and the subsequent broad support from national and international actors, and the Supreme Council of State rejected the agreement on October 5.
Tetteh stressed that the work accomplished through the mini-meeting laid an important foundation that should be strengthened and built upon, noting that this is not the only mechanism that the mission will adopt to continue to advance the goals of the UNSMIL mission’s roadmap.
She said that the electoral process cannot be separated from the broader institutional challenges that affect the conduct of elections, including the division of the judiciary.
She stressed that "the goal now is to address other critical priorities needed to create conditions for holding national elections in a relatively calm environment, unify institutions through the work of the mini-meeting, and enhance inclusiveness in other processes aimed at engaging relevant Libyan parties."
A division that affects the security and economic situation
The Special Representative pointed out that the institutional and political division continues to negatively affect the economic and security situation in the country.
“While global oil prices should have generated exceptionally large gains in public revenues that benefit everyone, many Libyans find themselves facing an erosion in their purchasing power,” Tetteh said.
She stated that the recent disturbances affecting the oil infrastructure demonstrate the broader economic cost of political and security fragmentation and its impact on strategic national assets, noting the closure of the Hamada-Zawiya and Sharara-Zawiya pipelines for a number of days last September.
She warned that the general security situation remains fragile. She welcomed the positive steps towards strengthening military cooperation between the military and security institutions in the east and west of the country.
The call was renewed to halt the implementation of further death sentences, after the execution of death sentences against 58 people convicted of previous crimes related to terrorism.
It also warned of the continuing wave of misinformation, hate speech and incitement targeting refugees and migrants, as well as humanitarian actors, United Nations agencies and their staff in Libya, including Libyan citizens.
“Legitimate public concerns about migration must be addressed through responsible policies, dialogue and documented information, not through hate speech, intimidation or violence,” Tetteh said.
The UN official stressed that "the road towards a stable, united and prosperous Libya is still long, but our destination remains within reach," calling on all parties concerned to demonstrate the flexibility and political will necessary to reach common ground.