Security Council resolution 2542 (2020) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 15 Sept. 2021]
Symbol: S/RES/2542 (2020)
Date: 2020-09-15
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/75 [220] UN SUPPORT MISSION IN LIBYA
S/75 [219] LIBYA SITUATION
S/ X The situation in Libya.
Subjects: UN Support Mission in Libya|UN. Special Envoy of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya|SPECIAL MISSIONS|GOOD OFFICES|LIBYA
Votes in favour: 13
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 2
Voting record:
country: BELGIUM
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: abstention
country: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
vote: yes
country: ESTONIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GERMANY
vote: yes
country: INDONESIA
vote: yes
country: NIGER
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: abstention
country: SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: TUNISIA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VIET NAM
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                     S/RES/2542 (2020)
               Security Council                                                   Distr.: General
                                                                                  15 September 2020




               Resolution 2542 (2020)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 8758th meeting, on
               15 September 2020

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling its resolution 1970 (2011) and all its subsequent resolutions on Libya,
               including resolutions 2259 (2015), 2486 (2019) and 2510 (2020),
                     Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial
               integrity and national unity of Libya,
                    Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Support
               Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) (S/2020/832),
                     Expressing its strong support for the ongoing efforts of UNSMIL and thanking
               former Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ghassan Salamé, for all his
               tireless work and Acting Special Representative of the Secretary -General Stephanie
               Williams for her efforts,
                    Underscoring the importance of the United Nations’ central role in facilitating
               a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned inclusive political process and in achieving a lasting
               ceasefire,
                    Recognising the need for increasing and enhancing dialogue with both the
               Libyan parties and international actors in order to facilitate a Libyan -led and
               Libyan-owned inclusive political process, and further recognising the urgency of the
               Secretary-General appointing a Special Envoy on Libya,
                    Calling on all parties to work together in the spirit of compromise, to refrain
               from any actions that could undermine the political process, to exercise restraint, to
               protect civilians and to engage seriously in national reconciliation, recalling that there
               can be no military solution in Libya, and reiterating calls for all parties to commit
               without delay to a lasting ceasefire and political dialogue under the leade rship of the
               Special Envoy of the Secretary-General,
                     Expressing grave concern over ongoing hostilities in Libya, and the targeting
               and destruction of civilian objects, further expressing concern over the exploitation
               of the conflict by terrorist and violent extremist groups, and noting the impact of the
               conflict on neighbouring countries and the region,
                     Urging the parties to ensure the full, equal, effective and meaningful
               participation of women in all activities and decision-making relating to democratic
               transition, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, recognising the need to protect



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               women’s rights organisations, and women peacebuilders from threats and reprisals
               and supporting the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General and
               UNSMIL to facilitate wider engagement and participation of women from across the
               spectrum of Libyan society in the political process and public institutions, recognising
               that the political process should be inclusive of all Libyans,
                    Urging the full, effective and meaningful participation of youth in peace efforts,
                    Recalling the commitment of the Libyan parties to work constructively with the
               UN to organise credible and peaceful parliamentary and Presidential elections and to
               respect the results of these elections, as agreed by the Libyan parties in Paris in May
               2018, in Palermo in November 2018, and in Abu Dhabi in February 2019, welcoming
               the continued work of the High National Electoral Commission and the Central
               Committee for Municipal Council Elections to prepare for and conduct national and
               municipal elections, further welcoming UNSMIL’s support for this work, and
               recognising the key role of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General and UNSMIL
               in consulting with Libyan parties to set the constitutional basis for elections and to
               adopt the necessary electoral laws,
                    Reiterating its call on all Libyans to work constructively towards the unification
               of Libya’s military and economic institutions; establishing unified and strengthened
               national security forces under civilian government authority; and a unified Libyan
               Central Bank,
                     Recognising the need to plan for the disarmament, demobilisation and
               reintegration of armed groups, security sector reform and to establish an inclusive,
               civilian-led security architecture for Libya as a whole,
                     Welcoming the economic dialogue taking place in Libya and the region and
               UNSMIL’s role in support, calling on the Libyan authorities to work towards
               reunification of economic institutions, to restore vital infrastructure, to improve
               service delivery and improve the transparency and accountabili ty of public
               institutions, further welcoming UNSMIL’s role in supporting an independent audit of
               the Central Bank, emphasising the importance of collaboration with international
               financial institutions, and expressing concern at the interference by armed groups in
               Libya’s sovereign institutions,
                     Recalling that Libya’s oil resources are for the benefit of all Libyans and need
               to remain under the exclusive control of the National Oil Corporation, condemning
               the forced shutdown of oil facilities and recalling that the Government of National
               Accord (GNA) retains sole oversight over Libya’s economic and financial
               institutions, with a responsibility to ensure the transparent, equitable and accountable
               management of revenue across the whole country,
                     Recalling the need for Member States to cease support to and official contact
               with parallel institutions outside of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA), as
               stipulated therein,
                     Expressing grave concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Libya,
               including deteriorating living standards and insufficient provision of basic services,
               and at the situation faced by migrants, refugees and internally displaced people,
               including their exposure to sexual and gender-based violence, and calling on the
               Libyan authorities to take steps towards the closing of detention centres and to
               alleviate urgently the suffering of all people in Libya by speeding up the delivery of
               public services to all parts of the country,
                     Urging all parties to implement the relevant resolutions on the Women, Peace
               and Security Agenda and to prevent and respond to sexual violence in conflict, and
               calling on the Libyan authorities to end impunity for sexual and gender-based


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           violence crimes in line with relevant Security Council resolutions, including
           resolution 1325 (2000),
               Recalling resolution 2510 (2020) which demanded that all parties to the conflict
           comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law,
                Emphasising that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian
           law and violations and abuses of human rights must be held accountable,
                 Calling on the Libyan authorities to take all steps necessary to investigat e
           violations of international human rights law and reports of abuses of human rights,
           including torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and mistreatment in prisons and
           detention centres, and to hold those responsible to account,
                 Recalling the importance of the protection of children, as set out in relevant
           Security Council resolutions, and taking appropriate measures in this regard,
           expressing concern about reported violations and abuses against children in Libya in
           particular those involving the killing and maiming of children, the abductions of
           children, sexual violence committed against children, the recruitment or use of
           children, the denial of humanitarian access for children and attacks against schools
           and hospitals in violation of international law, and urging all parties to immediately
           end such practices,
                Reiterating its grave concern at the smuggling of migrants and refugees and
           human trafficking through Libya, and welcoming the work of UNSMIL in
           coordinating and supporting the provision of humanitarian assistance for refugees and
           migrants,
                 Recalling resolution 2532 (2020), expressing grave concern about the
           devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Libya and noting the restrictions
           on international travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,
                 Reiterating its request that all Member States support fully the efforts of the
           Special Envoy of the Secretary-General and UNSMIL, calling on Member States to
           use their influence with the parties to bring about a lasting ceasefire and inclusive
           political process, recognising the important role of neighbouring countries and
           regional organisations, notably the African Union, League of Arab States and the
           European Union, further reiterating its call upon all parties to cooperate fully with
           the activities of UNSMIL, including taking all necessary steps to ensure the security
           and unhindered movement of United Nations and associated personnel and thanking
           the Government of Tunisia for its support,
                 Recalling the commitment of the participants of the Berlin Conference to refrain
           from interference in the armed conflict or in the internal affairs of Libya and their call
           on international actors to do the same,
                 Underscoring the importance of ensuring that existing sanctions measures are
           fully implemented and that violations are reported to the United Nations Sanctions
           Committee, established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011), and recalling in that
           regard that individuals or entities engaging in, or providing support for, acts that
           threaten the peace, stability or security of Libya may be designated for targeted
           sanctions, pursuant to resolution 2441 (2018) and subsequent resolutions,
                 Calling for full compliance with the arms embargo by all Member States, in line
           with resolution 2441 (2018) and all of its subsequent and previous resolutions on the
           embargo, and further calling on all Member States not to intervene in the conflict or
           take measures that exacerbate the conflict,
                Recalling its determination in its resolution 2213 (2015) that the situation in
           Libya continues to constitute a threat to international peace and secur ity,

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                    1.    Decides to extend until 15 September 2021 the mandate of UNSMIL, as
               an integrated special political mission, in full accordance with the principles of
               national ownership, to exercise mediation and through its good offices to:
                    (i)    further an inclusive political process and security and economic dialogue;
                    (ii)   further the continued implementation of the LPA;
                     (iii) help consolidate the governance, security and economic arrangements of
               the Government of National Accord, including support for economi c reform in
               collaboration with international financial institutions;
                    (iv) help to achieve a ceasefire and, once it is agreed by the Libyan parties,
               provide appropriate support to its implementation;
                    (v) support subsequent phases of the Libyan transition process, including the
               constitutional process and the organisation of elections;
                    (vi) coordinate and engage closely with international actors including
               neighbouring countries and regional organisations;
                    (vii) provide support to key Libyan institutions;
                    (viii) support, on request, the provision of essential services and delivery of
               humanitarian assistance, including in response to the COVID -19 pandemic, in
               accordance with humanitarian principles;
                    (ix) monitor and report abuses and violations of human rig hts and violations
               of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence in conflict, notably
               through the effective deployment of women and child protection advisers;
                    (x) provide support in securing uncontrolled arms and related materiel and
               countering their proliferation; and
                     (xi) co-ordinate international assistance, and provision of advice and
               assistance to GNA-led efforts to stabilise post-conflict zones, including those
               liberated from Da’esh;
                     2.    Further decides that UNSMIL should be led by a Special Envoy of the
               Secretary-General who should exercise overall leadership of UNSMIL with a
               particular focus on good offices and mediation with Libyan and international actors
               to end the conflict and that, under the authority of the Special Envoy, an UNSMIL
               Coordinator shall be in charge of UNSMIL’s day-to-day operations and management
               and requests that the Secretary-General appoint his Special Envoy without delay;
                    3.   Requests that UNSMIL shall report to the Security Council through the
               Special Envoy of the Secretary-General;
                     4.    Requests the Secretary-General to assess the steps required to reach a
               lasting ceasefire, the possible role of UNSMIL in providing scalable ceasefire support
               alongside his interim report on the proposals for effective ceasefire monitoring under
               the auspices of the UN, and his recommendations to the Council on the options
               reflected in the operationalisation paper as contained in S/2020/63, as requested in
               resolution 2510 (2020), which should be submitted, with the necessary updates, no
               later than 60 days after the adoption of this resolution, and the steps required to
               advance the political process from its current trajectory, and to include a report on
               progress towards these objectives in his regular reporting;




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                5.   Requests that the Secretary-General, in accordance with best practices,
           conduct and provide the Security Council, no later than 31 July 2021, with an
           independent strategic review of UNSMIL, including:
                 (i) an assessment and recommendations for improving the efficiency of
           UNSMIL’s overall mission structure, prioritisation of tasks and the capacity and
           effectiveness of staffing, including on mediation and peace process management;
                 (ii) further assessment of the options for effective ceasefire monitoring under
           the auspices of the UN including additional recommendations as necessary;
                6.   Requests the Secretary-General to include in his regular reporting
           UN efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the COVID-19
           pandemic on the ability of UNSMIL to deliver its mandated tasks;
                 7.   Recalls its decision that all Member States shall comply with the arms
           embargo, demands full compliance including by all Member States with the arms
           embargo imposed under resolution 1970 (2011), as modified by subsequent
           resolutions, including by ceasing all support for and withdrawing all armed mercenary
           personnel and demands all Member States not to intervene in the conflict or take
           measures that exacerbate the conflict, welcomes efforts by the Libya Sanctions
           Committee’s Panel of Experts to investigate violations of the arms embargo, further
           welcomes the cooperation between the relevant United Nations bodies, includi ng
           UNSMIL, and other interested parties with the Panel of Experts and notes its intention
           to hold those who violate the arms embargo accountable through its Sanctions
           Committee;
                8.     Requests UNSMIL to take fully into account a gender perspective
           throughout its mandate and to assist the GNA in ensuring the full, effective and
           meaningful participation and leadership of women in the democratic transition,
           reconciliation efforts, the security sector and in national institutions, as well as the
           protection of women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence including
           sexual violence in conflict, in line with resolution 1325 (2000) and further requests
           enhanced reporting by UNSMIL on these issues;
                9.    Welcomes progress in, and encourages continued work towards, a
           comprehensive political strategy, as well as the greater integration and strategic
           co-ordination of UNSMIL and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in
           Libya to support GNA-led efforts towards the stabilisation of Libya and requests the
           Secretary-General to include updates on progress in his regular reporting;
               10. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to report to the Security
           Council on the implementation of this resolution at least e very 60 days;
                 11. Requests the Secretary-General to report as necessary following
           consultations with the Libyan authorities on recommendations for UNSMIL’s support
           to the subsequent phases of the Libyan transition process and UNSMIL’s security
           arrangements to ensure it remains agile and responsive to developments on the
           ground;
                12.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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