What's In Blue

Posted Wed 28 May 2025
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Libya Sanctions: Vote on a Draft Resolution*

Tomorrow afternoon (29 May), the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution renewing for six months the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya, bound to or from Libya, that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo. France and Greece co-authored the draft resolution.

Background

The Security Council first adopted the measures in support of the full implementation of the arms embargo on Libya in resolution 2292 of 14 June 2016. The interception of vessels bound to or from Libya was intended to curb the flow of arms to the country and to support the two-way arms embargo imposed on the country in resolution 1970 of 26 February 2011.

Since 2016, the Council has annually renewed the measures contained in resolution 2292, most recently through resolution 2733 of 31 May 2024. According to the Secretary-General’s latest report on the implementation of the measures, dated 25 April and covering the period between 1 November 2024 and 14 April, the EU naval force in the Mediterranean (Operation EUNAVFOR Med IRINI) has remained the only regional organisation to inspect vessels under the authorisation. During the reporting period, the operation conducted 2,271 hailings (making contact with other vessels), 38 friendly approaches (consensual visits to vessels that can be carried out without flag state approval and without the use of enforcement measures), and two vessel inspections. The operation did not report the seizure or disposal of any prohibited items.

Until 2022, the Council had unanimously renewed the maritime inspection authorisation every year. Since then, Russia has abstained on the vote, questioning the effectiveness and viability of the authorisation. It has noted that Operation IRINI has failed to uncover significant arms supply channels and has alleged that the operation conducts its inspections in a selective and non-transparent manner. Additional members have subsequently voiced similar concerns; last year, the Council adopted resolution 2733 by a narrow vote of nine in favour and six abstentions. (For more information, see our 30 May 2024 What’s in Blue story.)

Negotiations on the Draft Resolution

This year, it seems that France and Greece initially sought another straightforward one-year extension of the maritime inspection authorisation. However, during consultations with the co-penholders prior to the circulation of a draft resolution, it seems that Libya was opposed to the renewal of the authorisation. As a compromise solution, it seems that the co-penholders and Libya agreed on a six-month extension.

On 22 May, France and Greece circulated to Council members a draft resolution reflecting this understanding, extending the authorisation for six months without any substantive modifications. The co-penholders subsequently placed the same draft under silence procedure yesterday (27 May). This morning (28 May), Russia broke silence on the draft to reiterate its concerns about the viability of the authorisation, but did not propose any specific revisions to the draft text. It seems that China echoed Russia’s concerns in its comments, but did not ask for specific revisions to the draft text. The penholders nonetheless proceeded to place the draft resolution in blue for a vote tomorrow afternoon.

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**Post-script: On 29 May, the Security Council adopted resolution 2780, renewing for six months the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya, bound to or from Libya, that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo. The resolution received 13 votes in favour and two abstentions (China and Russia).

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