Libya: Security Council endorses UN plan on restarting political process

United Nations, Oct 11: The UN Security Council has endorsed the United Nations’ action plan to resume an inclusive political process in Libya. In a Presidential Statement, the 15-member body on Tuesday strongly urged all Libyans to work together in a spirit of compromise and to engage constructively in the inclusive political process set out in the UN action plan, which was presented at a high-level event in New York on 20 September 2017, said a press statement of the UN News Centre. Regarding the measures set out in the action plan, the statement said that the Council “looks forward to further sequential implementation” of the plan, ahead of the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections within a year. The Council also reaffirmed that the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA), which was signed in December 2015, “remains the only viable framework” to end the Libyan political crisis, and that any attempt by Libyan parties to undermine the Libyan-led, UN-facilitated political process is unacceptable. Welcoming recent efforts to strengthen an inclusive political dialogue among all Libyans, including important efforts by Libya’s neighbours, international partners and regional organizations, the Council stressed that “all such initiatives should be consolidated under the leadership of the UN. In that regard, the Council emphasised the imperative for all Member States to support the primacy of the UN mediation in Libya. UNI