Delivered by His Excellency Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab, Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d’Affaires a.i.
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Madam President,
I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Abdoulaye Bathily, for his valuable briefing, and I also thank Your Excellency, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, for the briefing. I would like to seize this opportunity to commend you on the important role that you and your predecessor, Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti, have played in chairing the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970. We wish the incoming Chair every success. I would also like to welcome His Excellency Ambassador Taher Al-Sunni to today’s meeting.
Madam President,
A week from today, will mark one year since the elections were postponed in Libya. While the elections have not taken place yet, the UAE hopes that the Libyan parties are able to unite and overcome their remaining differences. However, this aspiration for unity must also be matched by the unity of Council Members and partners by supporting the Special Representative’s efforts.
We believe that the effective engagement by the Libyans and the international community with Mr. Bathily is encouraging and should be intensified. Such engagement adds momentum to the political track and advances the electoral process. Here, we must commend the mediation efforts of Libya’s neighboring States that are invested in aligning different points of view in order to enable Libya to hold parliamentary and presidential elections, thus ending the transitional period. Therefore, we call on all actors to coordinate their efforts with the Special Representative to ensure that they complement his good offices. We also stress the importance of ensuring the full, equal, and meaningful participation of Libyan women in the political process.
We note here the importance of Libyan national reconciliation in order to turn the page on the past and strengthen national cohesion in a way that serves peace and security in the long term. In this regard, we commend the United Nations and regional organizations for prioritizing support for de-escalation efforts and a comprehensive and inclusive reconciliation process. In conjunction with political efforts, it is imperative to continue building on the gains made in the security sector, especially in defeating terrorism and maintaining the ceasefire.
We continue to demand the gradual, balanced, and parallel withdrawal of foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries. We thank the military leaders and members of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission for their impartiality and for prioritizing national interest to safeguard the permanent ceasefire agreement. We urge them to take concrete steps to unify all security institutions to serve the Libyan people. This would also prevent the illegal proliferation of weapons, ensuring that clashes affecting the safety and security of the Libyan people are not repeated. This would also address the threats posed by unexploded ordnances to the population. We further support UMSMIL’s calls for security sector reform as well as the joint statement by UNICEF and UNMAS on the danger of unexploded ordnances to civilians, especially children.
Madam President,
Although Libya is a country rich in natural resources, there are many challenges that severely affect the lives of the everyday Libyan citizen, including denying access to education and healthcare, as well as delays in the payment of salaries. Therefore, we support the efforts of the United Nations to work and cooperate with Libyan institutions, such as the Cooperation Framework, which was initiated recently by the United Nations for sustainable development and to ensure that the Libyan people – including women, youth, and children – can build resilience in the face of current challenges. We also support the organization’s current efforts to provide necessary vaccines, including those that protect children, to all parts of Libya, as there is a shortage of vaccines at the local level.
In conclusion, the UAE is looks forward to seeing the roadmap of the Special Representative, which we hope will present a general path for progressing forward that is Libyan led and owned, in a manner that establishes stability and meets the Libyan aspirations for security and prosperity.
Thank you, Madam President.