10 March 2015
Security Council responds to calls for continued international support in Libya, extends mandate for the UN Mission
The United Nations Security Council extended the mandate for the UN mission to Libya, determining that the conflict remains a threat to international peace and security. Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter the Council voted unanimously for the extension which secures the continued presence of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The mission will continue to be led by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Bernardino León, and will remain ‘in full accordance with the principles of Libyan national ownership’.
The resolution follows a warning to the Council from León that the situation in Libya continues to deteriorate rapidly amid increasing terrorist threats and violence. León called on the international community and the UN to support national stakeholders in addressing Libya’s terrorism threats and transition to democracy. While urging national leaders to take a firm role in defining the country’s future, the Special Representative affirmed that the international community’s involvement remained ‘crucial’. ‘The sense of fear and concern in Libya regarding the threat of terrorists is very palpable’, he stated. ‘Libyan stakeholders have expressed grave concern about the danger that terrorism poses to Libya’s security and stability and of the very limited capacities of the Libyan state to effectively confront this challenge’ he continued.
The Mission’s mandate under paragraph 6 of the Council resolution 2144 (2014) includes promoting the rule of law and human rights, supporting the governments’ transition to democracy, controlling unsecured arms and related material in Libya and countering their proliferation, and enhancing governance capacity ‘as part of a coordinated international effort and drawing on the comparative advantage of the United Nations country team’. The Security Council also decided to extend authorisations relating to democratisation imposed by resolution 2146 (2014).
‘As difficult as the past few years may have been for their country, the Libyan people have not given up on their hopes and aspirations for a modern Libyan democratic state based on the rule of law and respect for human rights’, Mr. León concluded.
Source: UN News Centre | Security Council extends mandate for UN political mission in Libya through March 2015
Source: UN News Centre | Libya crisis ‘festering,’ UN envoy warns, urging decisive action to build national unity