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Distinguished members of the LPDF Advisory Committee,

Ladies and Gentlemen

I would like to welcome you and thank you for participating in this meeting of the Advisory Committee, which has been convened at the request of members of the LPDF ahead of the in-person LPDF plenary session planned to start on the 28 June, graciously hosted by the Swiss Federal Government.

The plenary meeting of the LPDF will be convened in line with UN Security Council resolution 2570 (2021) and with the Conclusions of the Second Berlin Conference for Libya, which took place yesterday, and which strongly reconfirmed the full commitment of the international community to the UN-facilitated, Libyan-led and Libyan owned political process, including the 24 December elections and the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya.

As you know, Security Council Resolution 2570 called on the relevant authorities and institutions, including the House of Representatives, to take the actions set out in the LPDF roadmap to facilitate the 24 December 2021 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, which include clarifying the constitutional basis for elections and enacting necessary legislation by 1 July 2021 in order to allow the High National Elections Commission adequate time to prepare for elections according to the prescribed timeline. The resolution also called on the LPDF to take steps to facilitate the elections if necessary. We are very close to the 1 July deadline and the HOR has not moved, has not provided a solution yet. This is why we are convening the LPDF next week, and why your work remains of critical importance, as in the past.

As reiterated yesterday by the High Representatives of the members of the Berlin Process, which now also includes Libya, free, fair, and inclusive national Parliamentary and Presidential Elections need to take place on 24 December 2021 as agreed in the Roadmap adopted by the LPDF in Tunis, and their results need to be accepted by all.

As indicated in the agenda proposed for your consideration, we expect the present meeting to achieve two key objectives:

First, we expect you to pave the way for a successful LPDF meeting that would put an end to the current deadlock around the constitutional basis for the elections. To this effect, members of the LPDF developed several proposals that you have received before this meeting.

The proposals before you today include different options to overcome the differences and address many points made during the last virtual LPDF meeting on 26 and 27 May, during which the LPDF considered the proposal adopted by the Legal Committee of the LPDF.

Allow me here to take the opportunity to thank once more the Legal Committee that worked tirelessly on putting together their proposal. I also thank the LPDF members, inspired by the Libyan society that firmly supports holding of the elections, who have offered bridging proposals to the remaining outstanding points.

These proposals represent an opportunity for you to consider potential solutions that can facilitate holding the national elections on 24 December and to make a clear recommendation to the LPDF on a proposal that can serve as a constitutional basis for the holding of elections. Your role is critical in succeeding to bridge the remaining differences and enable the LPDF plenary next week to deliberate and reach an agreement with the largest possible support of its members.

I call on you to consider the broadest possible compromise, building on the Legal Committee proposal and LPDF discussions in May, a compromise, that would address concerns expressed by different LPDF members, noting that this could be an interim arrangement to enable the country to go to elections in December and move beyond the current transitional phase by restoring the democratic legitimacy of Libyan institutions.

We strongly encourage you to reach an agreement on a single proposal which you will recommend for adoption by the LPDF, preferably by consensus.

Bridging these gaps and reaching an inclusive compromise on the constitutional basis, based on the Constitutional Declaration and consistent with the Libyan legal system, will also facilitate its adoption by the competent legislative authority and the adoption of the requisite electoral legislation.

The second objective for you at this meeting is to make recommendations on a decision-making mechanism for the LPDF. It is our hope that an inclusive proposal on the constitutional basis will be further considered and endorsed with a large consensus by the LPDF.

In the past, you demonstrated the ability to reach a compromise that facilitated the decision-making and voting by the LPDF on the current Libyan interim executive authority.

I thank you, once again, for shouldering this heavy responsibility of helping your country to move toward institutional unity and stability through an inclusive democratic political process, which is the only path to securing unity, peace, and prosperity for Libya and its people.

UNSMIL stands by you to assist you in this difficult task and facilitate your work.

Thank you all

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Opening remarks for the Advisory Committee meeting of the LPDF Tunis, 24 June - Libya - ReliefWeb