Tripoli, UN Special Envoy to Libya Jan Kubis has addressed a message to the Libyan people on ending his tenure as the Special Envoy and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in which he expressed his sincere gratitude to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council for entrusting him with this position pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2542 (2020). It was an honor to work on helping Libya on its path towards stability, unity, and sovereignty, he said.
“Abstaining from the elections and mobilizing against them, would only put the fate and the future of the country at the mercy of those inside Libya and their external backers who benefit from the present day’s debilitating and unsustainable status-quo, paralysis, and a divided, weak conflict-ridden country, and spreading instability in the region, and who prefer the power of the bullet to the power of the ballot.
‘During my tenure, building on the fundaments established by my predecessors, I have worked on supporting the Libyans to resolutely take responsibility of the fate of their country in their hands, starting with the House Representatives (HoR)’s convening of a reunified session after many years of division, in which it granted the vote of confidence to the interim executive authority – the Presidency Council and the Government of National Unity, established by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF). It was a privilege to support and accompany Libya taking the lead, ownership, and responsibility of the country, as prominently manifested in the participation of Libya as a sovereign and equal partner in critical international forums, notably, recent conferences of Berlin II and Paris Conference, and in convening the first major international conference inside Libya since the beginning of the crisis, last October, to pursue the Libyan- led/owned Stabilization initiative, Kubis added.
Notwithstanding all the risks and challenges, all technical and procedural flaws and imperfections, and less than optimal conditions, this unique opportunity to start a new democratic future for Libya should not be missed. While these elections may not be the solution for all Libya’s problems, it is a critically important step that opens doors to future solutions, including a new permanent Constitution. It also opens a way out of the division, disunity, paralysis, and dysfunctional institutions without real authority – a fertile ground for foreign interference that has further exacerbated problems and perpetuated the status quo. I appeal to all Libyans to go and vote for candidates that can guarantee unity, stability, and sovereignty based on national reconciliation, justice, accountability, democracy, rule of law, and good governance, the outgoing UN Envoy told Libyans.
‘With regrets, I have concluded that for professional and personal reasons it was necessary for me to step down from my duties as the Special Envoy and Head of UNSMIL. I wish all the best to the newly-appointed Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Libya, Ms. Stephanie Williams. I remain full of hope that the Libyan people and authorities will use their wisdom to continue with the multifaceted political transformation process leading Libya to prosper as a stable, unified, and sovereign country, with the support of the UN and the broader international community, including international and regional organizations, notably the AU, EU and the League of Arab States.’
The UN Envoy concluded his message by saying ‘Finally, I would like to thank all Libyans, as well as leaders, authorities, and institutions of the country for welcoming me to accompany and support Libya throughout this critical juncture of its history. I would also like to thank the UN family in Libya for their efforts in support of bringing peace, stability, unity, and prosperity to Libya and its people.
May Allah bless Libya and all Libyans.
Source: Libyan News Agency