S/PV.8394 the Situation in Libya 08/11/2018
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United Nations S/ PV.8394 Security Council Provisional Seventy-third year 8394th meeting Thursday, 8 November 2018, 3 p.m. New York President: Mr. Ma Zhaoxu ................................. (China) Members: Bolivia (Plurinational State of) ..................... Mrs. Cordova Soria Côte d’Ivoire ................................... Mr. Ipo Equatorial Guinea ............................... Mr. Ndong Mba Ethiopia ....................................... Mr. Woldegerima France ........................................ Mr. Delattre Kazakhstan .................................... Mr. Temenov Kuwait ........................................ Mr. Alotaibi Netherlands .................................... Mrs. Gregoire Van Haaren Peru .......................................... Mr. Tenya Poland ........................................ Ms. Wronecka Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Safronkov Sweden ....................................... Mr. Skoog United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .. Mr. Hickey United States of America .......................... Mr. Cohen Agenda The situation in Libya . This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506 ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org). 18-36821 (E) *1836821* S/PV.8394 The situation in Libya 08/11/2018 The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m. The implementation has indeed started. Several armed groups have withdrawn from positions in Adoption of the agenda ministries and indicated a readiness to hand over the port and civilian terminal of Mitiga airport to The agenda was adopted. State control. There is a fragile but palpable sense of improvement across the capital. The concept that we The situation in Libya have been working on is clear and balanced. While The President (spoke in Chinese): In accordance armed groups from outside the city should not attempt to with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of invade it again, armed groups operating within the city procedure, I invite the representative of Libya to must stop using their position to penetrate, intimidate participate in this meeting. or control the sovereign institutions. Looking forward, the city should be protected by disciplined, regular In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s police forces. Success in the capital is crucial, not only provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Ghassan because it houses most of the Government institutions Salamé, Special Representative of the Secretary- and 30 per cent of the Libyan population, but also General and Head of the United Nations Support because what works in Tripoli can be a model to be Mission in Libya, to participate in this meeting. repeated in other cities across the country. Mr. Salamé is joining the meeting via video Among the drivers of conflict are the appalling tele-conference from Tripoli. conditions in the prisons. Hundreds of Libyans and foreigners are illegally and inhumanely detained and The Security Council will now begin its used to extract ransoms. Some prisons have become consideration of the item on its agenda. incubators for extremist ideology and terrorist groups. I now give the floor to Mr. Salamé. While the crisis prompted the issuance of a decree ordering the judiciary to review the files of the Mr. Salamé: Allow me to congratulate the People’s thousands of prisoners who have been languishing in Republic of China on its presidency of the Security jail, only 255 of those prisoners have been released. Council this month. I am grateful for this opportunity That process needs to be expedited and the armed to brief the Council on our work in Libya. groups must return control of the detention facilities to the authorities. Prisons that have effectively become Since my previous briefing, in early September for-profit private enterprises operated by armed groups (see S/PV.8341), the violence in Tripoli finally ended. under State cover should be immediately shuttered. In the one month of fighting, over 120 lives were lost, The Mission has established a special task force on including those of 34 women and children. As a result prison reform. of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the The unity of the Council was invaluable in its parties agreed to stop the violence. On 25 September, support of our efforts to broker the ceasefire. The most of the attackers from outside the city withdrew. threat and application of sanctions to those involved in violent or criminal action appear to have had a tangible Since then, we have sought to transform a challenge effect in altering the behaviour of many armed actors. into an opportunity. We have dedicated ourselves to the Impunity must end. The phenomena of armed men consolidation of the ceasefire — on the ground and at the assaulting medical facilities and personnel, extorting political level — to minimize the prospect of a similar money from financial institutions and women waiting crisis. The new security arrangements committee for in line for banking services are immoral, illegal and greater Tripoli crafted a comprehensive security plan criminal. That must cease immediately. That was my for the capital that has received the endorsement of message on Tuesday when I visited Al-Jalaa Hospital the Presidency Council. Armed group elements will for Women and Childbirth to express the solidarity of withdraw from key installations and official buildings, the United Nations with staff, after health workers there while reserve forces will be deployed on the edge of the were assaulted by members of an armed gang. city. A joint operations centre has been working well to The appointment of a new Minister of the Interior coordinate that process to move forward. signalled a decision to seriously engage on security in 2/21 18-36821 08/11/2018 The situation in Libya S/PV.8394 a robust and more determined manner. I am pleased to One of the country’s underlying dysfunctions is the report that the Minister’s first decree was to establish division of its main financial institutions. To promote a human rights unit within the Ministry. There is now reunification and financial accountability, UNSMIL a window of opportunity to address the tremendous proceeded with the request made by the Presidency challenges that Libyan security institutions have faced Council to the Security Council on 10 July for a financial since 2011, and UNSMIL has seized it. The forthcoming review of the Central Bank of Libya and its parallel conference on Libya, to be hosted by the Government branch in the east. Yesterday, I hosted the second of Italy in Palermo, is an occasion for Member States meeting between Central Bank Governor Al-Kabir and to offer tangible support for the training of professional Deputy Governor Al-Hebri, at which an agreement was security forces. I thank the Member States that have reached on the terms of reference and the way ahead. already offered assistance. Libyans should be helped Here too, the upcoming Palermo conference could to turn the page on their reliance on armed groups for provide an opportunity to gain more practical support their protection. In the medium term, we should also for establishing a system for redistributing national contribute to unifying and restructuring a professional wealth to the benefit not of overnight millionaires but national army and contribute to the Egyptian-led process. of the entire population. The violence in September reflects the underlying Security and the economy are two of the three fragility in the country. The Libyan conflict is in pillars required for stability. The third is the political large part a conflict over resources, and until that is pillar. The Presidency Council’s cabinet reshuffle on resolved, stability will remain elusive. Libya is wealthy. 7 October ushered in four new ministers. The United Oil production reaches up to 1.3 million barrels of oil Nations will support further appointments to help per day. This country of 6.5 million people has seen improve the delivery of services and security to the revenues of over $13 billion in the first half of the year Libyan people. UNSMIL focus remains on policies, alone. However, those figures obfuscate the truth. not on politicians, and on improving institutions, Libyans have been increasingly impoverished, while not on promoting individuals. Efforts to amend the criminals employ violence and patronage networks Presidency Council continue. UNSMIL welcomes the to steal billions from the national coffers. Ironically, continued contact between members of the House of the violence in Tripoli offered a unique opportunity Representatives and the High Council of State, which to introduce long-awaited and much-needed economic started in the meetings UNSMIL organized between reforms. On 12 September, a range of economic them in the fall of 2017. We shall see if a true agreement measures were launched in order to improve the can be reached. living conditions of the Libyan people and reduce opportunities for militias in the shadow economy. The Libyan