Security Council Welcomes Confidence Vote by Libya’s House of Representative to Endorse New Unified Interim Government’s Cabinet

The Security Council today welcomed the vote of confidence by Libya’s House of Representatives to endorse the Cabinet of a new unified interim Government charged with leading the country up to elections.

In a presidential statement (document S/PRST/2021/6) issued by the representative of the United States, Council President for March, the 15-member organ stressed the importance of this step in the political process.  It likewise underlined the importance of the unification of Libya’s institutions, as set out in the road map agreed by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, held in Tunis, in November 2020.

Council members called on all Libyan authorities and actors to ensure a smooth handover of all competences and duties to the new interim Government and welcomed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj’s statement in that regard.

The Council further called on the forthcoming interim Government to make the necessary preparations for free and fair national presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December 2021, including arrangements to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women; to improve the delivery of services to the Libyan people; and to launch a comprehensive national reconciliation process, among other initiatives.

On the security front, Council members called on all parties to implement the ceasefire agreement, urging Member States to respect the full implementation of the agreement — including through the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya — and to fully comply with the United Nations arms embargo, as they reaffirmed their strong commitment to the United Nations-facilitated Libyan-led and owned political process, and to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya.