Participants attend the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Tunis, November 9, 2020. /Reuters
The Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution to approve the UN secretary-general’s proposal on the composition and operational aspects of a cease-fire monitoring component of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
In an April 7 letter to the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed a “phased deployment for the UNSMIL cease-fire monitoring component, which would require an initial maximum number of 60 monitors.”
Resolution 2570 requests that UNSMIL should provide support to the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission and the Libyan Cease-fire Monitoring Mechanism (LCMM), including through the facilitation of confidence-building measures and the scalable and incremental deployment of UNSMIL cease-fire monitors once conditions allow.
It underlines the importance of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission developing plans for the LCMM; the timeline, size, and geographical deployment of the UNSMIL cease-fire monitoring component; clear milestones; the expected end state and security arrangements to secure the UNSMIL cease-fire monitors.
The resolution expresses the Security Council’s intention to review the progress toward the deployment of UNSMIL cease-fire monitors by September 15, 2021.
It requests that the independent strategic review of UNSMIL should take into account the cease-fire monitoring component, and further requests the secretary-general to consult the Security Council on any increase to the initial maximum number of cease-fire monitors.
The resolution calls on all Libyan parties to ensure full implementation of the October 23, 2020 cease-fire agreement and strongly urges all UN member states to respect and support its implementation, including through the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without delay.
It calls on the interim government to make the necessary preparations for free, fair, and inclusive national presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24, 2021, as set out in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum roadmap.
