What's In Blue

Libya Briefing and Consultations

The Council is scheduled to be briefed tomorrow morning (Wednesday, 25 January) on Libya by Ian Martin, head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham, Libya’s Permanent Representative to the UN, is expected to provide key developments from the interim government’s perspective.

It seems Council members are interested in hearing an update from Martin on UNSMIL’s role in post-conflict Libya. (Martin last briefed the Council on 22 December 2011.) Among the areas he is likely to cover are the existing political and security challenges faced by Libya’s interim authorities. The focus will likely be on how they are affecting UNSMIL, particularly in relation to its assistance efforts and in carrying out the “assessment of needs” report of the Libyan authorities. With UNSMIL’s mandate expiring on 16 March, Council members are aware that a decision on UNSMIL’s future will have to be made soon.

It is likely that Ambassador Shalgham will highlight political and security obstacles in post-conflict Libya. He may also provide an update on the elections in Libya scheduled for June. It seems Pillay will provide an overall picture of the human rights situation in Libya since she last updated the Council on Libya in August 2011.

Following the briefings, Council members are scheduled to have consultations on Libya. Among the issues that may be raised are alleged civilian deaths as a result of NATO operations and any developments on the status of Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi, Muamar Qaddafi’s son, who has been indicted by the ICC. (Libya has submitted an application to the ICC requesting that Saif Al-Islam be tried in Libya.)

Tags: , ,
Sign up for What's In Blue emails

Subscribe to receive SCR publications