President,

I thank Deputy Special Representative Stephanie Koury and Chair of the 1970 Committee Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki for their briefings. I have listened carefully to the statement by the civil society representative.

In recent months, Libya, with the support of UNSMIL and other international partners, has seen the central bank crisis resolved and the political and security situation largely stable, with positive signs emerging. At the same time, there are still differences among parties in the country, stalling the political process and presaging a long and arduous way towards national unity. I would like to emphasize the following points.

First, continuously promoting political dialogue. The recent successful holding of council elections in 58 municipalities across Libya is an important step in advancing the political process and strengthening local governance, which China welcomes. We note the latest recommendations and measures by DSRSG Koury to facilitate the political process in Libya. We encourage all parties concerned in Libya to cooperate actively with a commitment to dialogue and consultation towards an early consensus on the holding of general and parliamentary elections. It is our hope that the Secretary-General will expeditiously appoint a new special representative for Libya in accordance with the Security Council resolution and after fully consulting relevant parties to provide more good offices in support of bridging the differences among parties in Libya.

Last week, President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, chair of the AU high-level committee on Libya, visited the country and engaged with all parties to advance the AU-led national reconciliation process, which China recognizes. China supports African solutions to African problems, and welcomes a greater role of the African Union in resolving the Libyan issue.

Second, addressing security and humanitarian challenges. The Secretary-General’s report points out the highly volatile situation in western Libya and clashes among armed groups over territory, about which we are deeply concerned. Against this backdrop, all Libyan parties should put the interests of the country and its people first, continue to implement the ceasefire agreement, refrain from any unilateral actions that undermine stability, and maintain the hard-won easing of the situation. The problem of refugees and illegal migrants is a persistent challenge in Libya with a lasting impact on its security and humanitarian situation, further exacerbated by turmoil in neighboring countries and regions. We call on the international community for closer cooperation and greater support for Libya to prevent the interaction and synergism of various risk factors.

Third, developing a reasonable plan for the frozen assets. Libya’s frozen assets abroad are the collective wealth of the Libyan people. China fully understands the concerns of the Libyan authorities about the illegal misappropriation or erosion of its assets, supports safeguarding the safety, integrity, and preserved value of frozen assets, and calls on relevant financial institutions to adhere to the principles of transparency and impartiality and to refrain from any arbitrary misappropriation and abuse. It is our hope that the Council will pay full attention to the legitimate demands of the Libyan authorities, and in connection with the upcoming consultations on the Libyan sanctions resolution, review and adjust the existing asset freezing measures in a timely manner.

President,

The Libyan issue has dragged on for over a decade, the reason of which is worthy of our deep reflection. It has been proven that external interference and imposed solutions cannot bring peace. China hopes that all parties will respect Libya’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, adhere to the Libyan-led and Libyan-owned principle in advancing the political reconciliation process, and jointly make tangible efforts to bring Libya back to the right track of peace and development at an early date.

I thank you, President.