Briefing Security Council, Special Representative Highlights Libya's Fragile Security, Economic Progress, Urges Renewed Commitment to Elections
Meetings Coverage
Security Council
10017th Meeting (AM)
SC/16192
14 October 2025
As the Head of the United Nations presence in Libya told the Security Council today that major milestones along the political road map for the country remain unmet — and that the organ may have to consider alternative approaches should the stalemate continue — speakers voiced additional concern over continuing fragility in Libya's security and economic sectors.
"While the current Libyan leaders and institutions have expressed their commitment to engage constructively, their actions have not sufficiently matched their words," reported Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Among other issues with the UNSMIL-facilitated political road map — which aims to unify State institutions and renew their legitimacy through presidential and legislative elections — the House of Representatives and the High Council of State have yet to jointly discuss the constitutional and legal framework for elections.
"Achieving political consensus on these matters will be challenging, but members of this Council will no doubt be aware that this has been the pattern in Libya for a while now," she said, nevertheless calling on the country's leaders to engage constructively towards preparations for elections. Should UNSMIL's current engagement fail to reach sufficient consensus between the House of Representatives and the High Council of State to move forward with implementation of the road map, she said that UNSMIL will adopt an "alternative approach" and "seek the support of this Council to advance the Libyan political transition to reach a meaningful conclusion".
And, while detailing progress in the holding of municipal elections, she noted that economic and financial governance is still "deeply dysfunctional", two concurrently functioning constitutional judicial mechanisms are "working at odds with each other" and the security situation "remains very fragile". On the latter, she reported that UNSMIL is working to advance security-sector reform in the western part of Libya, stressing that a stable security environment is "critical" to facilitate political progress.
Support for Political Road Map, Renewal of Mission Mandate
The representative of China agreed, stressing that maintaining peace and stability — a crucial guarantee for the political process — is the "most urgent task at hand". He also said that the UN — the "main channel for resolving the Libyan issue" — plays an "irreplaceable and vital role", expressing support for an extension of UNSMIL's mandate. Calling on the Mission to prioritize advancing the political process to "help Libya break the political deadlock at an early date", he also called on external forces to "stop undue interference in Libya's affairs".
France's representative, too, said that foreign intervention continues to undermine Libya's sovereignty and called for the withdrawal of all mercenaries. Urging the international community to seize the opportunity of UNSMIL's upcoming mandate renewal to further support Libya's stability and reunification, he agreed with others that the UN road map charts a clear course towards critical national elections. Additionally, he spotlighted the Libya arms embargo, noting that the European Union's Operation IRINI is the only mission with the mandate to combat arms trafficking in the Mediterranean.
"That is why we support the renewal of the resolution authorizing inspections of vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya, to be considered by the Council next month," said the representative of Slovenia. Stating that the flow of heavy weaponry into Libya was "evident during the flare-up of violence in Tripoli in May", she said that Operation IRINI "remains the only international actor currently carrying out this important work in the Mediterranean". Calling on all stakeholders to fully respect the arms embargo on Libya, Denmark's representative added that Operation IRINI also "serves as a critical source of information sharing".
Unification of Libya's Institutions 'Essential' for Country's Prosperity
"Conscious of the importance of the sanctions regime currently in place, we look forward to working with Council members on the renewal of the mandate of Operation IRINI," said the representative of Greece. He also underlined the importance of controlling illegal migration flows, which "constitutes an EU [European Union] priority — particularly for member States with maritime borders in the Mediterranean". Further, he underscored that the unification of Libyan institutions is "essential" for Libyan prosperity, sovereignty and border security, joining others in spotlighting the importance of fully implementing the political road map.
On that, the United Kingdom's representative stated: "The status quo is simply not sustainable — Libya's political impasse continues to deprive its people of the democratic choice, economic opportunity and security they deserve." Voicing disappointment that the first milestones of the road map have yet to be met, he called on stakeholders — particularly the House of Representatives and the High Council of State — to urgently complete that work, and on all Libyan parties to implement their commitments.
The representative of the United States also expressed support for the road map and stressed that the unification of Libya's political institutions would allow the country to assume more responsibility for its own security and prevent its territory from being used for terrorism or arms trafficking. Adding that strong economic foundations are also vital, she urged international support for crucial technocratic institutions in Libya — such as the National Oil Corporation, the Central Bank of Libya and the Libyan Audit Bureau — which promote a more stable business environment.
"Renewed and coordinated efforts should also be made to unify Libya's fragmented security and military institutions," said the representative of the Republic of Korea, who also called for UNSMIL's road map to be translated into tangible action. Further, as illicit oil exports and rampant fuel smuggling continue to deprive Libyans of their basic needs while draining vital State revenue, he stressed: "Libya's national resources must serve all Libyans through transparent, impartial economic institutions and independent, effective oversight."
"Equally important", said the representative of Pakistan, "is safeguarding Libya's frozen assets and ensuring their reinvestment for the benefit of the Libyan people in line with [resolution 2769 (2025)]." Noting the Libyan Investment Authority's challenges in engaging with financial institutions holding such assets — and such institutions' seeming lack of clarity regarding the application of relevant provisions of that resolution — he suggested the issuance of an "implementation assistance notice" to "clarify operational modalities and address existing interpretational gaps".
Concern over Libya's Frozen Assets
Meanwhile, the representative of the Russian Federation — Council President for October — spoke in his national capacity to stress that "unscrupulous Western banks and financial structures" are exploiting Libya's frozen assets as the Council discusses future parameters to unfreeze them. This is "completely unacceptable", he underscored, calling on "all who call themselves friends of Libya" to actively protect these assets — "including by suppressing such fraud and theft in their national jurisdictions".
Also voicing concern over the continued erosion of Libya's frozen assets due to mismanagement by certain financial institutions was Algeria's representative, also speaking for Guyana, Sierra Leone and Somalia. Further, he warned that "a political solution in Libya remained elusive in the face of growing external interference" — further exacerbated by the increased smuggling of fuel and weapons. Against that backdrop, he urged the Council to "acknowledge past errors" by shifting to more meaningful engagement and by firmly confronting those who hinder Libya's progress towards peace and stability.
Additionally, he highlighted the importance of respecting the leadership and ownership of the Libyan people, stating that UNSMIL requires recalibration to achieve its core mandate. Similarly, the representative of Panama welcomed the recent strategic review of the Mission, which is a valuable opportunity to strengthen UNSMIL's mandate and to ensure that a "clear, nimble and focused approach" can respond effectively to the situation on the ground.
External Interference in Libya's Internal Affairs Must End
For his part, the representative of Libya said that there seems to be consensus on several key points. "It is clear that there is nothing new to discuss", he stated, adding that everyone is looking forward to progress on the political road map — especially the Libyan people themselves. Stressing the need to fully respect national efforts, he urged that the UN's mediation lead to clear deliverables in a dedicated timeframe, which will reveal "who is the real spoiler" if such goals are not met.
Moreover, he underscored that external interference in Libya's internal affairs must end. Libyans, he said, want safety, security and economic recovery, as well as the ability to enjoy a dignified life funded by their own national resources, free from manipulation by any external actor. "Libyan citizens want to stop the endless transitional period", he stressed, adding that they also want to "choose who represents them, away from any dictatorship or hypocrisy".
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