Libya: Critical political, economic, and security juncture - Briefing | United Nations

Special Representative for Libya Hanna Serwaa Tetteh said Libya faces a “critical” political, economic, and security juncture, with divided State institutions and stalled elections. She reiterated the UNSMIL roadmap can lead to institutional reunification, restoring legitimacy through elections and preserving the country’s unity. Briefing the Security Council on the situation in Libya via video link, Tetteh thanked the Council’s support of UNSMIL and the implementation of the roadmap, as reaffirmed in its 3 March Press Statement. However, she said that we are not where we would like to be in terms of progress on the roadmap. She noted that some Libyan actors continue to disregard the expectations of the public regarding their participation in political processes, or towards exercising political leadership based on democratic legitimacy. Parallel structures have been established outside of the framework of existing agreements, which can limit the effectiveness of the UNSMIL process aimed at institutional reunification and establishing democratic legitimacy for political leadership. The Special Representative also highlighted, “Libya’s national wealth is being absorbed into a distorted political economy that fuels unaccountable spending and weaponises oil revenues.” She said, “this diversion of resources without a consensus on agreed national priorities weakens fiscal discipline and undermines the State’s ability to function as a steward for implementing projects, programs and initiatives that respond to critical public priorities and social spending commitments.” Tetteh cautioned that the country is facing a “significant but potentially short-lived” oil revenue windfall. “This creates a narrow window of opportunity to reinforce macroeconomic stability and restore integrity in public finance,” she added. In this context, the UNSMIL chief welcomed the signing on 11 April of Annex No. 1 to the Unified Development Program by members of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State under the auspices of the Central Bank and supported by the United States, “as an important step towards greater fiscal coherence.” The Special Representative also stated that the Sudan Regional Response Plan, which covers Libya, is intended to support approximately 597,000 Sudanese refugees and host communities in health, protection, and food security, with an estimated financial requirement of $115.5 million for 2026. She urged Member States to support this effort, adding that in parallel, “efforts continue to advance the return or reintegration of internally displaced populations, primarily those linked to conflict, as part of the broader durable solutions agenda”


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