UN mediation only viable path to end Libyan gridlock: Pakistan says

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2026) Pakistan has underscored that a Libyan-led-and-owned process supported by UN mediation remains the only viable path to lasting peace and stability in that troubled country.

"We support the efforts of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), including the structured dialogue and the two-step approach, to bridge differences and advance the political process" towards reconciliation, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, said during a UN Security Council briefing on the peacekeeping mission.

Since the 2011 uprising that ended Muammar Gadhafi’s rule, efforts to establish unified governance in Libya have been hindered by institutional fragmentation and rival authorities.

While the 2020 ceasefire reduced large-scale fighting, political divisions persist. Mediation through the UNSMIL continues to pursue a constitutional basis and electoral framework under the Political Road Map.

At the outset of his remarks, the Pakistani envoy said, "Libya is a brotherly country, and we remain steadfast in our support for its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and national unity."

Discussing Libya's security track, he encouraged continued UNSMIL-supported engagement from all stakeholders to ensure full implementation of agreed security arrangements, and advance the security sector reform.

About Libya's economic track, Ambassador Asim Ahmad commended the Libyan leadership for reaching a milestone agreement on a unified spending framework, which he hoped would contribute to long-term economic stability.

Most speaker in the 15-member Council agreed on the steps towards Libya’s peace and stability — including elections, institutional reunification, security sector reform and economic transparency — but emphasized that the real test will be effective implementation, sustained political will and a decisive break from the status quo.

“We are not where we would like to be in terms of progress on the road map,” said Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of UNSMIL, noting that some Libyan actors continue to sidestep public expectations for democratic participation, while parallel structures outside existing agreements undermine institutional reunification.

“Conducting business as usual under the current circumstances inadvertently legitimizes the status quo rather than incentivizing serious negotiations and encouraging the necessary compromises to reunify the country,” she said, warning against the national and regional risks of continued inaction.

Ms. Tetteh highlighted momentum in the Structured Dialogue, held online during Ramadan and in person this month. Progress across the four tracks — security, governance, economy, and national reconciliation and human rights — has led to draft recommendations, with a plenary planned this month and a final report due by early June.

While UNSMIL continues to engage Libyan institutions to unblock the political impasse, the Special Representative cautioned that absent progress, she will return to the Council in June with proposals grounded in existing agreements.

Ms. Tetteh also warned of Libya’s worsening economic conditions, fragile security, judicial divisions and human rights violations — all compounded by humanitarian pressures linked to the Sudan conflict.

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