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The following statement by UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres was issued today:

Today we have very good news in our search for peace. I welcome the selection by members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum of a unified temporary executive authority.

I call on all members of the dialogue and the Libyan and international stakeholders to respect the results of the vote.

I congratulate the three new members of the Presidential Council and the Prime Minister Designate on their selection, but also, I wish them every success in their mandate to lead the country for the remainder of the Preparatory Phase leading up to national elections on 24 December 2021.

I welcome the pledges made by the new executive authority to form a Government reflecting political pluralism, geographic representation, and its commitment to include no less than 30 per cent of women in executive positions, as well as to ensure the participation of youth.

I also call on the new executive authority and all concerned Libyan stakeholders to uphold the principles and timelines set out in the Tunis Road Map.

I thank the members of the political dialogue for successfully shouldering this historic responsibility.

My appreciation also extends to the Government of Switzerland for hosting the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, to the members of the Berlin Process for their continued support and to my Acting Special Representative, Stephanie Williams, for her leadership, commitment and tireless efforts for facilitating the intra-Libyan dialogue.

The United Nations commitment to support the Libyan people in their efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous country will continue. After the ceasefire that was agreed, the election that now took place shows that Libya is moving in the right direction.

For information media. Not an official record.

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Secretary-General Welcomes Libya Political Dialogue Forum's Selection of Temporary Executive Authority, Calls upon All Parties to Respect Tunis Road...

The Governments of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America welcome the agreement reached by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum on a unified interim Libyan executive authority charged with leading the country to national elections on December 24, 2021.

This critical step towards reaching a negotiated, inclusive political solution is the result of a genuinely Libyan-led and Libyan-owned process, the mediation of the United Nations, and the support of the Libyan people. In this respect, we commend the extraordinary commitment of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and of Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Stephanie Williams. We look forward to fully supporting the work of Special Envoy Jn Kubi.

We call on all current Libyan authorities and actors to ensure a smooth and constructive handover of all competences and duties to the new unified executive authority.

Since the Berlin Conference, Libya has made significant progress toward securing lasting peace and stability, including through the reopening of the energy sector, the nationwide ceasefire agreement of 23 October 2020, the roadmap for holding national elections in December 2021, and now the selection of a unified, interim executive authority.

A long road still lies ahead. The unified executive authority will have to implement the ceasefire agreement, provide essential public services to the Libyan people, initiate a program for meaningful reconciliation, address critical national budget needs, and organize national elections. The new interim government, to be proposed by the designated Prime Minister, should be truly inclusive, allowing all Libyans to be represented, including with regard to gender, ethnicity and regional origin.

We call on the delegates of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum to maintain their important function, guaranteeing the focus of the new unified executive authority on preparing and holding elections as decided by the Forum.

At the Berlin Conference on Libya last year, the international community committed to supporting a resolution to Libyas conflict. In the spirit of that commitment, all participants of the Conference should now support the new executive authority in fulfilling its duties to the Libyan people, fully implement the arms embargo, and support the immediate withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries.

We stand ready to hold to account those who threaten stability or undermine the political process in Libya.

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Libya - Statement by spokespersons of the foreign ministries of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States (05 Feb. 2021) -...

Libya embarked Saturday on a new phase of its post-Moammar Gadhafi transition after an interim executive was selected to lead the country until December elections following a decade of chaos.

In a potential turning point accord cautiously welcomed by key powers, four new leaders from Libya's west, east and south now face the task of unifying a nation torn apart by two rival administrations and countless militias.

Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, a 61-year-old engineer, was selected Friday as interim prime minister by 75 Libyan delegates at U.N.-led talks outside Geneva, the culmination of a dialogue process launched in November.

The new premier on Saturday called for the "reconstruction of the country" and promised to be "ready to listen to and work with all Libyans, whatever their ideology, affiliation or region."

In his first address in the new role, he described the selection process as "democratic and reunifying" after "conflicts and divisions that have affected the Libyan state and its institutions."

"The result ... is a consecration of democracy and unity," he ventured in the televised address as he quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

It marked the start of a new chapter for Libya after the failure of a 2015 U.N.-brokered deal that established a Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez Sarraj.

Libya has been mired in violent turmoil with divisions between the U.N.-recognized legitimate GNA in Tripoli and an illegitimate rival administration backed by putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar in the east.

While Turkey and Qatar have been the main backers of the GNA, Haftar was supported by Egypt, Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Acting U.N. envoy Stephanie Williams, who facilitated the weeklong talks in Switzerland, called it a "historic moment."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "I do believe it is a breakthrough."

Hailing from the city of Misrata, newly selected premier Dbeibah had led the Libyan Investment and Development Company under longtime dictator Gadhafi, who was toppled and slain in a 2011 revolution.

The wealthy businessperson has 21 days to form a Cabinet then another three weeks to win a vote of confidence in parliament, by March 19 at the latest.

Dbeibah was considered an outsider candidate in large part due to his past close ties to Gadhafi compared with the influential speaker of the eastern-based parliament, Aguila Saleh, and powerful GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha.

A three-member presidency council has also been chosen to head a unity administration and steer the North African state toward the ballot box on Dec. 24.

The vote is part of a complex U.N.-led process aiming to build on a fragile cease-fire in force since October that has cleared the way for a resumption of oil exports on which the country is dependent.

Mohammad Younes Menfi from eastern Libya, a former ambassador expelled by Greece in December 2019 in protest at an agreement between Tripoli and Ankara, is to head the Presidential Council.

Turkey and Libya signed agreements on security and maritime borders in 2019. The maritime deal enabled Turkey to secure its rights in the Mediterranean while preventing any fait accompli by other regional states. However, Greece, one of the main regional actors, did not welcome the deal and regarded it as a violation of its rights, though international law proves otherwise.

Menfi's deputies are Moussa al-Koni, a member of Libya's long-marginalized Touareg minority from the south of the country, and Abdallah Hussein al-Lafi, from the western city of Zuwara.

Turkey's president congratulated the leaders of Libya's interim government in a phone call on Saturday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoan wished success to Menfi and Dbeibah, who have been elected as head of the Presidential Council and prime minister, respectively, according to a statement by the Turkish Presidency.

"Turkey will continue its efforts for political unity, territorial integrity, stability, peace, security and prosperity in Libya and further enhance its cooperation with Libya in the new period," Erdoan said.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the U.S. welcomed the interim government but cautioned of a "long road ahead" and said it would have to offer Libyans essential public services.

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, one of the main backers of Haftar, has also given his support to the transitional government that would lead neighboring Libya through elections late this year.

Haftar's spokesperson on Saturday congratulated Dbeibah and Menfi as well as "the Libyan people" on the outcome of the selection process, a day after outgoing premier Sarraj wished the new executive "success in their mission."

The Libyan people hope that it will work tirelessly to provide services and prepare the country for general elections on Dec. 24, 2021, the statement said, referring to the interim government.

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New interim government to lead Libya during transition phase | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah

The humanitarian organization SOS Mediterranee said on Thursday that its crew had rescued 121 people, among them 19 women and two small children, from an overcrowded rubber boat off Libya. Another 140 migrants were returned to Libya by coast guards on Wednesday.

Early on February 4, the crew on board the humanitarian rescue ship Ocean Viking rescued 121 people from an "overcrowded rubber dinghy. Among them 19 women and two small children.

The boat in which the migrants were traveling was spotted "at first light this morning" in "international waters" about "30 nautical miles off the port of Al Khoms in Libya," according to SOS Mediterranee.

The day before, on February 3, two other migrant boats carrying 140 people were intercepted and returned to Tripoli by Libyan coast guards, according to a tweet by the UN refugee agency.

Alarm Phone, the hotline for boats in distress at sea, on Wednesday tweeted about another boat in distress in the central Mediterranean.

According to Alarm Phone, "a boat with about 90 people, among them women and children, just called #AlarmPhone." Alarm Phone said it had "alerted the authorities to launch an immediate rescue."

In the early hours of Thursday morning, Alarm Phone said they had "survived the night at sea and were able to move slowly north." They were nearing Lampedusa. At lunchtime on Thursday, Alarm Phone issued another update, saying that they had "learned that 99 people arrived in Lampedusa in the morning and we believe they were on the boat we accompanied during the night. We wish them all the best for their future in Europe!"

Just before they had issued the arrival tweet, another boat appeared to have put to sea and found itself "in danger" off the Libyan coast. According to Alarm Phone, this has about 110 people on board and is "taking on water." Alarm Phone said that the motor on board the boat is not working and the people on board have no life vests. They tweeted in Italian that a "tragedy is imminent."

The Ocean Viking set sail from the port of Augusta, Sicily on February 2. The boat successfully rescued 374 people in January according to a mission report published on February 4. The ship's crew posted on Twitter that those rescued by the Ocean Viking "describe harrowing stories of violence and abuse experienced in Libya."

Accompanying the tweet, they posted a drawing of two men "beating" a person who appeared to be tied up and hanging from the ceiling. Another frame of the drawing showed a person apparently being electrocuted. In two more frames, lots of people sat on the floor, looking up at one man, perhaps a guard, holding either a big stick, a gun or a knife or sword.

SOS Mediterranee commented that those on board the dinghies see "no other option to regain hope and dignity," other than attempting to reach Europe on a boat. Some of the survivors had made "up to five attempts to escape, even if this could mean dying at sea," the NGO said.

Rights groups and international organizations have repeatedly said that Libya cannot be considered a "Place of Safety" under any international standards. Libyan coast guards, however, continue to intercept and return boats back to Libya, where migrants are often sent back into a cycle of detention, blackmail, exploitation and sometimes violence and torture.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released a report in February 2021 in which they assessed the multi-sector needs (MSNA) of refugees and migrants in Libya, to help them plan aid for the rest of the year.

The MSNA survey talked to a total of 1,551 migrants and refugees present in Libya, mostly from sub-Saharan African countries, as well as the Middle East and North African countries. 84% of respondents were male and 16% female. The survey confirmed that Libyas political situation was "strained" due to an "increasingly protracted conflict" as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey noted that migrants and refugees in the county were "particularly vulnerable to discrimination, reduced livelihood opportunities, limited access to basic services and assistance, and the risk of arbitrary detention, exploitation, trafficking, harassment and abuse."

The report authors estimated that in 2021, 304,000 migrants and 44,000 refugees have "unmet needs." Those two groups taken together represent "28% of the total estimated people in need inside Libya."

44% of respondents were living with some element of a so-called food security living standard gap, meaning they were unable to access adequate food and drinking water.

94% of respondents had problems with accommodation and felt they had no security of tenure in the property they were renting. 49% said they didnt have access to safe and healthy housing at all, and 38% didnt own "basic items to sustain a minimum decent standard of living."

Many of the respondents felt unsafe in Libya. 68% expressed "safety and security concerns for children." 56% had safety and security concerns for themselves.

The difficulty for many migrants and refugees to earn money in Libya was also assessed. 61% of respondents reported "relying on temporary or daily labor as their main source of income." 57% said they had faced challenges to earn enough to meet their basic needs in the 30 days prior to being surveyed.

The survey concluded that many of the respondents, at least 30% were living with some kind of "capacity gap" which generally undermined their resilience to cope with all the other difficult situations they were being faced with.

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Ocean Viking crew rescues 121 migrants, 140 returned to Libya by coast guards - InfoMigrants

India welcomed the progress made in the formation of transitional executive authority in oil-rich Libya and expressed hope that all parties will work constructively towards implementation of the roadmap of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) and holding of elections.

India's Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti, who is chair of the U.N. Security Councils Libya Sanctions Committee, had said that the committee is a very important subsidiary body of the Council, which implements the sanctions regime, including a two-way arms embargo on Libya and assets freeze, a travel ban and measures on illicit export of petroleum.

I welcome the progress made today in formation of transitional executive authority in #Libya. I hope that all Libyan parties will work constructively towards implementation of LPDF Roadmap & holding of #elections," Mr. Tirumurti tweeted on Friday.

Mr. Tirumurti, who assumed the committee's chair last month, also called the 1970 Sanctions Committee, for a period ending December 31, 2021.

He had said that India was assuming the chair of this committee at a critical juncture, when there is international focus on Libya and on the peace process. The 74-members of the U.N.-led Libyan Political Dialogue Forum selected an interim Prime Minister and President of its new executive council, marking what the U.N. Special Representative called another historic moment on the road to unification of the war-torn country and national elections in December.

Mohammad Younes Menfi was selected President of the Presidency Council and Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah was elected prime minister.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the selection by members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum of a unified temporary executive authority. He called on all members of the dialogue and the Libyan and international stakeholders to respect the results of the vote.

The U.N. chief welcomed the pledges made by the new executive authority to form a government reflecting political pluralism, geographic representation, and its commitment to include no less than 30% of women in executive positions, as well as to ensure the participation of youth.

The United Nations commitment to support the Libyan people in their efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous country will continue. After the ceasefire that was agreed, the election that now took place shows that Libya is moving in the right direction, he said.

Acting Special Representative and head of the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Williams said that on behalf of the United Nations, she was pleased to witness this historic moment. The importance of the decision that you have taken here today will grow with the passage of time in the collective memory of the Libyan people, she said.

Libya descended into crises on multiple fronts, since the fall of former ruler Muammar Gadaffi in 2011, with the country essentially divided between a U.N.-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital Tripoli, and a rival administration, led by General Hafter, who commands the western-based self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA).

Oil, the lifeline of Libya's economy, has long been a key factor in the civil war, as rival authorities jostle for control of oil fields and state revenue. Libya has the ninth largest known oil reserves in the world and the biggest oil reserves in Africa.

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Welcome progress made in formation of transitional executive authority in Libya: U.N. Ambassador Tirumurti - The Hindu