President, 

I thank Special Representative Hannah Tetteh and Chairman Mohamed Rabi Yusuf of the Libyan sanctions committee for their briefings. I welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of Libya at today’s meeting. As President, the Libyan political stalemate still persists, and the security situation remains fragile. The international community should focus on the root causes of the problem and make joint efforts to address the complex challenges facing Libya. Let me make the following points. 

First, advancing the political process is the fundamental way out. For a long time, achieving national unity has been the general aspiration and urgent expectation of the Libyan people. The international community should jointly push the parties concerned to hear the voices of the people, show sincerity in resolving their differences, and build consensus on holding elections. Special Representative Tetteh has done a great deal of work in this regard. China welcomes that, and also hopes that the Special Representative will continue to strengthen communication with all parties and ensure that the political roadmap submitted to the Security Council is fully accepted by all parties and is effective on the ground. Local elections bring hope and lay the foundation for national elections and political change. China welcomes the recent successful holding of local elections in 26 municipalities in Libya, and expresses its concern over attacks on electoral offices in many places. We encourage the parties concerned to continue to advance elections in other municipalities. The international community should provide the necessary funding and technical support. China supports a Libyan-owned and Libyan-led political process in achieving tangible results. 

Second, maintaining national stability is a top priority. Recently, tensions in Tripoli and other areas have seen some easing up, but the situation is still fragile. Last month, the African Union Peace and Security Council held its assembly of heads of state and government, reaffirming its support for restoring peace and stability in Libya. China appreciates the efforts made by the AU. Given the current situation, the international community should call on all parties to effectively implement the ceasefire and maintain stability in Tripoli, while pushing for disarming the armed groups and achieving lasting security arrangements. Continued support should be given to integrating military and security institutions in eastern and western Libya and accelerating the withdrawal of foreign troops, combatants, and mercenaries. The issue of illegal refugees and migrants has long affected Libya’s social stability. China encourages the United Nations, the African Union, and other stakeholders to strengthen cooperation and jointly help Libya address this persistent problem. 

Third, promoting economic stabilization is an important foundation. The Secretary-General’s report indicates that Libya’s oil export is improving in general, the dinar exchange rate is relatively stable, and its national audit bureau is making positive progress in unifying technical standards. China welcomes such progress. At the same time, we should also be aware that a prolonged absence of a unified budget and a serious fiscal deficit in Libya are obstacles to its economic development. The international community should support Libya in promoting public financial management reform and achieving a unified budget as soon as possible. This past January, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2769, allowing the Libyan investment authority to reinvest frozen cash reserves. The relevant financial institutions should implement this Council resolution and should not be unresponsive to Libya’s reasonable demands, let alone illegally eroding the common wealth of the Libyan people.

President, 

Libya has rich resources and great potentials, but has endured years of continual conflicts, stalled progress in the political process, and persistent suffering of its people. Peace and development are the major trends of the world. A prosperous, well-governed Libya is in the common interests of all parties, and it will bring more opportunities for the region and for the world. We hope that all Libyan parties will put the overall interests of the country and its people above all else, and strengthen unity and cooperation. We also hope that foreign countries will keep in mind the overall development of Africa and jointly lift the Libyan situation out of stalemate for a brighter future. 

China reiterates its support for the work of the Special Representative Tetteh and that of UNSMIL. Next month, Secretary-General Guterres will submit to the Council a strategic review of UNSMIL. We expect to see practical recommendations from the review on optimizing UNSMIL’s mandate and structure to enhance the Mission’s quality and effectiveness, so as to better support the peace and stability in Libya. As a good friend of Libya, China is ready to work with the international community and play our constructive role in resolving the Libyan issue. 

Thank you, President.