Berlin, Germany - Senior officials of the Governments of China, France, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States of America as well as of the European Union met today in Berlin with the Libyan delegates to the UN-led Political Dialogue and in the presence of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG), Bernardino León. The German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the meeting.

The Libyan people deserve peace, stability and prosperity. Yet, Libya is facing new threats to the sovereignty and the integrity of the country:

• Fratricidal armed conflicts lead to severe suffering of the civilian population, to a deteriorating humanitarian situation, to a high incidence of violations of human rights and humanitarian law, to the displacement of large numbers of persons, to the depletion of state resources, and to the imminent risk of Libya’s economic and financial breakdown.
   
• Terrorist groups, as designated by the UN Security Council, are seeking to take root in a divided Libya and threaten the security of the whole region
   
• War and instability in Libya and other regions are contributing to ever-increasing numbers of refugees, preyed upon by criminal networks, including human traffickers and migrant smugglers who prosper on the back of Libyan division, at the expense of peace and security in and the economic potential of the country and lead to continuing loss of migrants’ lives at sea.

In the face of these threats, all participants to the meeting renewed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya, while recalling the UNSC statement of 23 July 2014 and the UNSC resolutions 2174 (2014), 2213 (2015), 2214 (2015).

The Governments and the EU expressed their unequivocal support for the Libyan political dialogue led by SRSG León and to his proposals to reach a compromise. They praised the continued commitment of the Libyan negotiators to the UNSMIL dialogue process and clearly articulated their conviction that an inclusive political settlement is the only sustainable solution to Libya’s political crisis. They reiterated that Libya’s challenges can be best and most sustainably addressed by a unified Libya in partnership with the international community.

The Governments and the EU paid tribute to the dedication and the efforts of all participants of the Political Dialogue and of the other tracks of the peace process. They welcomed the broad support that the political process enjoys among the Libyan people, and of the manifold contributions of Libyan civil society to the process. They praised in particular the important initiatives undertaken by a number of municipalities to forge local ceasefires, exchange prisoners, release prison inmates, and allow for the return of internally displaced persons.

The Governments and the EU called on the Libyan leaders to grasp the opportunity to reconvene on an urgent basis under UN auspices in good faith so as to agree now on a Political Agreement which provides for a general ceasefire, for inclusive political institutions, including a Government of National Accord (GNA), and for interim security arrangements. They urged all Libyan parties to overcome the remaining obstacles to an agreement, to create a conducive environment for a lasting and inclusive solution to the current conflicts, to immediately cease all hostilities and to prevent all actions that may disturb the political process. At the same time, they underlined their resolve to elaborate appropriate measures against those who threaten Libya’s peace, stability or security, or obstruct or undermine the successful completion of its political transition.

The Governments and the EU reiterated their firm commitment to work with a united and peaceful Libya in a spirit of partnership. They reaffirmed that an inclusive Libyan Government of National Accord would create the conditions for partnerships in many areas, and that the international community stands ready to provide significant support to a GNA in agreed areas of cooperation, including, upon request by the GNA and under its primary responsibility, contributing to interim security arrangements, support in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, and working together on irregular migration in a manner that respects Libyan sovereignty and the rights of the affected persons while at the same time undertaking firm efforts to strengthen Libya’s institutions and help foster Libya’s social and economic recovery.

The senior officials also met with representatives of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Sudan and Tunisia and welcomed their efforts and support for the process led by Bernardino León. They also welcomed similar efforts by the African Union and others.