Libya: UNSMIL Welcomes Montreux Talks' Outcomes

Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General (ASRSG) and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Williams welcomed the results of the consultations amongst key Libyan stakeholders that took place in Montreux in Switzerland.

The UN mission issued a statement noting the consensual view of the participants in the Montreaux consultations that Presidential and Parliamentary elections must be held at the end of an 18-month period on the basis of an agreed constitutional framework.

The consultations in Montreux, Switzerland, were held under the auspices of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and in the presence of UNSMIL between 7-9 September.

“ASRSG Williams sincerely thanks the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue team for their tireless efforts in organizing this meeting that has come at a decisive turning point in the long search for a comprehensive solution to the Libyan crisis,” the statement read.

UNSMIL commends the goodwill and national dedication of the Libyan participants who seized this opportunity to put aside their longstanding differences and disputes to recommend a Libyan-Libyan solution that can be put on the table for the early resumption of the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum.

[caption id="attachment_146134" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] UNSMIL head Stephanie Williams[/caption]

These consultations were organized following the August 21 parallel ceasefire declarations of President of the Presidency Council Fayez Sarraj and Speaker of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh and provide a basis for all responsible Libyan stakeholders to forge the way forward.

This period would be initiated by the reformation of the Presidency Council, the establishment of a representative unity government dedicated to providing services and creating the necessary conditions for the holding of national elections, including implementing the Parliament-approved Amnesty Law and facilitating the return of displaced persons and those in the diaspora as a necessary step for much-needed national reconciliation.

Moreover, the statement welcomed the participants’ proposal of moving key government functions and offices, such as the executive and the House of Representatives, on a temporary basis, to Sirte, following the implementation of the appropriate security and logistical arrangements.

“We encourage the House of Representatives and High State Council to continue their discussions on the issue of sovereign positions and we call on them to produce the needed electoral framework within a set timeline,” the UN noted.