Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo’s remarks to the Security Council on the situation in Libya
19 February 2025
Mr. President,
I am pleased to brief the Council on recent developments in Libya.
Two days ago, Libya marked the fourteenth anniversary of the 17 February Revolution. But the dream of a civil, democratic and prosperous Libya remains unfulfilled.
Entrenched divisions, economic mismanagement, continued human rights violations, and competing domestic and external interests continue to erode Libya's unity and stability.
There is an urgent need for progress in Libya. UNSMIL, mandated by this Council, is taking steps to revive a Libyan- political process, anchored in the principles of inclusivity and national ownership.
Let me brief you on key ongoing efforts.
On 4 February, an Advisory Committee was established by UNSMIL. It is tasked with providing recommendations to address the contentious issues in the electoral legislation that have prevented the holding of national elections.
It is not a decision-making body, but its proposals will support efforts to remove obstacles to holding national elections in Libya.
The Committee is composed of 20 Libyan personalities, including legal and constitutional experts. Thirty-five per cent of them are women.
On 9 and 10 February, UNSMIL convened in Tripoli the inaugural meeting of the Advisory Committee.
Many Libyan stakeholders, including political parties, social movements, and women and youth groups, have publicly welcomed its establishment as an opportunity to move the political process forward.
Yesterday, the Committee reconvened for three days to examine in detail the contentious issues and begin considering options on how to overcome them.
In parallel, UNSMIL is also taking steps to convene a structured dialogue among Libyans on ways to address longstanding drivers of conflict and develop an inclusive, bottom-up vision for their country's future.
Recognizing the importance of a strong, equitable and resilient economy for the stability in Libya, UNSMIL is facilitating consultations among independent Libyan economic experts to identify priorities, barriers and solutions to achieve sound economic governance.
In this regard, a meeting was organised in Tunis on 10 and 11 February.
Mr. President,
Divisions and competition over the control of State institutions continue to dominate the Libyan political and economic landscape.
Despite UNSMIL engagement with all relevant stakeholders, no progress has been made on a unified budget or an agreed spending framework.
It is critical to address the issue to support the efforts of the Central Bank of Libya to stabilize the financial situation of the country and enable transparent and equitable public spending.
Recently, a disagreement over the appointment of the leadership of the Libyan Audit Bureau has escalated, threatening the body’s integrity.
The United Nations urges all parties to respect the Bureau's independence and keep Libya’s oversight bodies free from interference and politicization.
Mr. President,
After six months of litigation and contradictory judicial rulings, the dispute over the position of President of the High Council of State remains unresolved.
Although some of its members are attempting to transcend the current divisions, the High Council of State stands deeply divided and unable to fulfil its institutional role.
Politicization and political divisions are also hindering progress on national reconciliation.
Despite an UNSMIL-facilitated agreement in December among the Presidential Council, the House of Representatives, and the High Council of State on a draft law for national reconciliation, subsequent amendments to the draft law by parliamentarians have raised concerns over the independence of a future National Reconciliation Commission.
Earlier this month, through a process led by the African Union, a charter for reconciliation was agreed in Zintan, and adopted on 14 February in Addis Ababa, in the margins of the African Union Summit. While some Libyan stakeholders have supported the charter, others did not.
UNSMIL continues to engage with all relevant parties to urge them to pursue a rights-based, inclusive national reconciliation process free from political interference.
Mr. President,
Following successful local elections in 56 municipalities in November 2024, the High National Elections Commission has begun preparations for the next group of 63 municipal council elections.
The preliminary candidate nomination phase has concluded, with over 4,900 candidates nominated, out of whom 1,345 are women. This is to be followed by voter registration.
Funding from the Government is crucial to enable the High National Elections Commission to implement this next phase of municipal council elections.
On the security front, the activities of non-State and quasi-State armed actors continue to pose a threat to Libya’s fragile stability.
On 12 February, the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Mr. Adel Juma, was injured in an armed attack on his car in Tripoli. We call for a full and transparent investigation to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
In the south, the Libyan National Army took control of a military base in Obari, previously held by a Government of National Unity-affiliated military officer.
The 2020 Ceasefire Agreement has only been partially implemented.
Renewed efforts by Libyan authorities to implement its remaining provisions are crucial to improve the fragile security situation and to create conditions for the reunification and reform of security institutions.
In a positive development, UNSMIL facilitated in December the establishment of a joint technical team of senior military and police officers from the Government of National Unity and the Libyan National Army.
The aim is to improve coordination and information-sharing on border security, counterterrorism and irregular migration.
Mr. President,
The continuing trend of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances across Libya is deeply concerning.
We appeal to Libyan authorities to take urgent steps to cease these practices and uphold the rights of detainees to due process, including the right to a fair trial and to legal counsel.
UNSMIL continues to engage with authorities to strengthen legal safeguards, accountability and civic space.
The increasing number of deaths in custody is troubling, with 15 cases recorded since March 2024.
While UNSMIL has been recently granted access to detention facilities in Mitiga, Benghazi, and Al Baydah in a positive gesture by the respective authorities, much wider access and systemic reforms are needed to help the Libyan justice and corrections system align with international human rights standards.
Mr. President,
Migrants and asylum-seekers, including children, continue to face serious human rights violations across Libya, including torture and cruel and inhumane treatment.
The alarming and tragic discovery of mass graves following raids on human trafficking sites highlights the severe danger faced by migrants in Libya.
On 7 February, a mass grave was discovered on a farm in Jikharra in northeastern Libya and a day later another mass grave was discovered in Al-Kufra in the southeast. To date, 93 bodies have been exhumed in Jikharra and Al-Kufra district.
A full and independent investigation is critical to bring the perpetrators to justice. This is yet another reminder of the urgent need to protect migrants and combat human trafficking.
In December, a joint UNSMIL and UN country team mission to Al-Kufra engaged with local authorities, partners, refugees and host communities to strengthen humanitarian responses for Sudanese refugees.
The 2025 Libyan chapter of the Sudan Refugee Regional Response Plan targets 446,000 individuals and requires $106 million – double the support from 2024 – as refugees continue to arrive in Libya.
I plea to donors for their continued support to address the growing needs of Sudanese refugees in Libya and across the region.
Mr. President, Members of the Council,
The fragile stability in Libya is increasingly at risk. The country’s leaders and security actors are failing to put the national interest ahead of their competition for political and personal gain.
I urge Council members to extend their support to the newly appointed Special Representative Hanna Tetteh -who will be taking up her functions in Tripoli tomorrow – in her work to help break the political impasse, resolve Libya’s protracted crisis and support the Libyan people towards unifying Libya’s institutions and holding inclusive national elections.
I express my appreciation for Deputy Special Representative Koury, who, as Officer-in-Charge, laid important groundwork for the UN-facilitated political process.
Thank you.
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Mr. President,
In one week, we will mark three tragic years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in violation of the UN Charter and international law.
The invasion represented an inexcusable escalation of the conflict that started in 2014, with the attempted illegal annexation by the Russian Federation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, followed by the outbreak of fighting in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east of Ukraine.
Civilian casualties continue to rise. The global impact of the war continues to be felt far beyond Ukraine.
In this context, today’s ten-year anniversary of Security Council resolution 2202 - that called for the full implementation of the now defunct Minsk agreements - is an opportunity to recall past diplomatic efforts towards de-escalation and a peaceful settlement of the conflict. It also invites reflection on what happens when peacemaking fails.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the United Nations has remained fully committed to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally-recognized borders.
Over the past ten years, while not directly involved, the United Nations has consistently supported the various diplomatic processes and mechanisms aimed at restoring the peace and security of Ukraine. These included efforts led by the Normandy Format countries and by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the Trilateral Contact Group, focusing on the implementation of the 2014 and 2015 Minsk agreements.
In line with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, we made available our expertise and international experience to the OSCE and its Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in areas such as ceasefire monitoring and women, peace and security.
We commend the dedication of the professionals who served with the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission. For eight difficult years, they played a crucial role in monitoring and reporting ceasefire violations. They helped maintain dialogue to reduce tensions and prevent escalation.
We reiterate our gratitude to the OSCE and the SMM for the constructive cooperation over the years.
As underlined in the Pact for the Future, the role of regional and subregional organizations in diplomacy, mediation and the pacific settlement of disputes remains essential. In Europe, this is particularly relevant for the OSCE on the 50th anniversary of its founding document, the Helsinki Accords.
Mr. President,
It is important to consider some of the key lessons of the past ten years of conflict and peacemaking in order to succeed in ensuring a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine.
The Secretary-General has underlined, time and again, that any peaceful settlement must respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and resolutions of the General Assembly.
In the Pact for the Future, Member States recommitted to the promotion of cooperation and understanding between states to defuse tensions, seek pacific settlement of disputes, and resolve conflicts.
This approach must also apply to put an end to the war in Ukraine.
The United Nations encourages dialogue among all stakeholders and welcomes all genuine efforts and initiatives, with the full participation of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, that would alleviate the impact of the war on civilians and de-escalate the conflict.
The Minsk agreements have taught us that agreeing on a ceasefire or the signing of an agreement alone do not ensure a durable end to the violence.
Ensuring that the conflict does not reoccur and does not escalate will require genuine political will and understanding of its multi-dimensional complexity, for Ukraine and for the region.
Mr. President,
We renew our appeal of ten years ago for all stakeholders to step up their efforts to end the fighting. We reiterate the Secretary-General’s call on all countries to help prepare the ground for a just peace. And we stand ready to use our good offices and to make available all our tools and experience in support of such efforts.
Thank you.
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Denmark’s unearmarked contributions to the Multi-Year Appeal (MYA) have helped the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) to swiftly bolster the UN’s response to an increasingly complex and ever-evolving peace and security landscape. This support has been instrumental in enabling and sustaining peacebuilding efforts, mediation and political processes worldwide.
We are living in an age of complex and overlapping crises. Today, one-quarter of the world’s population lives in countries affected by violent armed conflict. For every $1 spent on prevention, between $26 and $103 could be saved on humanitarian aid and post-conflict reconstruction. The benefits to those who are spared the disasters of war are incalculable.
DPPA’s critical work in conflict prevention, mediation, peacemaking, and peacebuilding is backed by some 35 donor Member States each year through its Multi-Year Appeal. All recognize that operational deployments or engagements with the right actors can make a difference on the ground and influence the trajectory of conflicts. Pooled resources enable DPPA to maximize impact by combining earmarked and unearmarked funds operational deployment or engagement with the right actors can make a difference on the ground.
Denmark has long been a long-standing partner. Last year, 73% of Denmark’s total contribution significantly contributed to our swift response to emerging crises and supporting underfunded and forgotten crises. The funds were received in the first quarter of the year, facilitating better planning.
DPPA provides support to over 30 United Nations special political missions, from Afghanistan to Libya, the Horn of Africa, Myanmar, Sudan and Syria, among other contexts. These missions help prevent conflicts, mediate disputes, support peace processes, and assist in post-conflict stabilization.
Here are three contexts where unearmarked funding from Denmark helped DPPA’s response to tackle global crises and conflict:
Throughout 2024, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen continued years of efforts to try to move the political track and bring the Syrian parties closer towards a negotiated solution. It also played a key role in advancing Security Council resolutions, advocating for detainee issues, supporting women’s participation in the political process, and coordinating with UN agencies on humanitarian access and accountability efforts. Following the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, we were able to respond quickly, forging a UN response, working on Security Council deliberations. Work is currently underway on the Day After and DPPA is providing technical support (on constitutional arrangements, elections). Despite the caretaker authorities' stated commitment to a political transition, ongoing conflicts and unresolved security challenges threaten to derail the UN-facilitated process, necessitating continued strategic engagement and risk mitigation efforts.
DPPA deployed surge capacity to our Office in Jerusalem (UNSCO), which is leading UN efforts related to the Middle East peace process, in the immediate aftermath of the 7 October attacks by Hamas, strengthening UNSCO’s crisis response and planning at a pivotal moment. As the conflict escalated and spread to other parts of the region, including Lebanon, the need for swift surge support to missions and offices on the ground became even more urgent. We continued to facilitate access to conflict-affected areas for fact-finding, while also providing critical political and technical support.
As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, our real-time analysis informs UN leadership on political, diplomatic, and security developments, with daily reports contributing to over 160 briefings to the Security Council delivered by the Secretary-General and senior UN officials. Our Liaison Office in Kyiv is our eyes and ears on the ground, and plays a crucial role in monitoring the situation, engaging with local stakeholders, and supporting inclusive peace processes.
The MYA is our lifeline and makes DPPA more operational. Thanks to the MYA, we can deploy expert staff or senior mediators at short notice in peace negotiations (funding more than 100 deployments a year) and promote concrete action to boost women’s participation in peace processes. On the electoral front, DPPA coordinates electoral assistance to dozens of countries a year. In 2024, we provided technical support to about one-third of the elections conducted globally.
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Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1261st meeting held on 14 February 2025 on Consideration of the Situation in Sudan:
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling its previous decisions and pronouncements on the situation in Sudan, particularly, Communiqués [PSC/PR/COMM.1235 (2024)] adopted by the PSC at its 1235th meeting held on 9 October 2024...
The Peace and Security Council, acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, expressed grave concern over the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC, emphasizing the need for collective action. It reaffirmed respect for DRC’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while unequivocally condemning the activities of M23, ADF, FDLR, and other armed groups, demanding their immediate withdrawal. The Council endorsed key regional communiqués, called for humanitarian...
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A return to war in Gaza must be avoided at all costs, UN Secretary-General António Guterres insisted on Tuesday, amid fears that the three-week-old ceasefire agreement between Hamas fighters and Israel is about to end.
Thousands of people affected by the fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are leaving displacement sites in and around Goma for safer areas, the UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA reported on Tuesday.
