Political accord remains key to resolving crisis in Libya, Presidency Council Chair tells UN Assembly

The Chairman of the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord of Libya, Mustafa Faiez Serraj, told the United Nations General Assembly today that the political agreement signed by the Libyan parties remains the solution to the current crisis in the North African country.

He said the situation in Libya is of interest to the entire world and the country is grateful for all the assistance it has received to get through this difficult period. To unify the State, he recalled the importance of the separation of powers. Efforts had been made to bring together the voices of the country.

“The Government will continue peaceful dialogue and cooperation and thanked all international partners for their support,” Mr. Serraj said, adding that adequate financial resources are needed to achieve peace and unity. Libya remains committed to strengthen cooperation and dialogue and would welcome the re-establishment of diplomatic missions in the country, he added.

"We are aware of the security concerns, but we are serious about the restoration of security in the country," he said, and all appealed to all Libyans: "Come join us, those of you who believe in a strong State with a strong army that will defend you of any aggressors."

Regarding the fight against terrorism, the President condemned the scourge, including Da’esh [also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL], which aims to exploit the country’s natural resources. He added that it is necessary to mobilize efforts and cooperate to fight effectively against terrorism. In this regard, he requested the lifting of the arms embargo on Libya.

Regarding the issue of human rights, he said the Libyan Parliament passed various laws to ensure respect for human rights. He warned that the current situation makes it difficult to enforce these rights but this did not prevent the government to lead a fight against impunity campaign.

Ramtane Lamamra, Deputy Prime Minister of Algeria, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-first session. UN Photo/Cia Pak

In his address to the Assembly’s annual general debate, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra called for urgent UN reform to tackle the multiple challenges now facing it, a cause championed by the Non-Aligned Movement of which Algeria is a long-time member that seeks to expand the 15-member Security Council and overhaul other UN bodies.

“We have to answer a simple question,” he said. “Are the mechanisms conceived in the aftermath of the Second World War at a time when the vast majority humankind still lived under foreign domination, when the political underpinnings and world balance were quite different, still valid today?”

He also called for redoubled efforts to bring peace to Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and other hotspots and for the establishment of a Palestinian state on the territory seized by Israel in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.