UN envoy calls for political will to advance Libya's political process

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The top UN envoy for Libya on Tuesday called for political will to advance the political process in Libya.

The UN-facilitated political roadmap has made important progress. However, progress does not solely require the efforts of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), but also a sustained willingness of the Libyan political actors to engage constructively, said Hanna Tetteh, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Libya and head of UNSMIL.

"We will continue to work with all parties, holding discussions and consultations in an effort to address any concerns and misgivings, and working to build trust to advance the roadmap," she told the Security Council via a video link.

Tetteh unveiled the political roadmap a year ago, which is built around three core pillars: an electoral framework for presidential and legislative elections, unifying institutions through a new unified government, and a structured dialogue.

The six-month-long structured dialogue concluded in June, said Tetteh. "We now enter a critical phase: advancing unified institutions and the conditions necessary for inclusive elections."

The need to move Libya's political process forward remains crucial. The recent widespread electricity outages and public discontent, exacerbated by a prolonged heatwave, have exposed the consequences of institutional fragmentation, large-scale diversion of public resources, underinvestment and uncoordinated decision-making, all of which are essentially failures of governance, she said.

This is why the political process is about more than bridging political differences. It is about restoring the state's capacity to provide for its people, manage its resources responsibly under unified institutions, provide security and create resilience to confront the various risks to which it is exposed, said Tetteh.

Unifying institutions and holding elections require political resolve and compromise from Libyan stakeholders, with priority given to the national interests and the interests of the Libyan people. Sustained and coordinated international support is also essential, she noted.

Tetteh said the roadmap may require more time than initially envisaged, noting that the delay is not a loss of direction but a necessary adaptation to political realities and the views of Libyan stakeholders and international partners.

"UNSMIL will continue its efforts to advance the process with determination," she said. Enditem