Libya, 2013

At the outset,

I warmly congratulate Mr. John Ashe on his election as

President of the General Assembly. I wish him every

success in his endeavours. I also wish to convey my

greetings to His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon and to

commend him and his team for the remarkable efforts

they continue to exert in the realization of the lofty

purposes and principles that have been at the heart of

the United Nations since its inception.

I have the honour to speak before the Assembly

today on behalf of my country, the new Libya, which

is forging ahead towards democracy, establishing

State institutions, the rule of law, development and

prosperity, despite the range of political, economic,

social and cultural difficulties and obstacles we face

as a result of the burdensome legacy left behind by the

dictatorial regime. I wish to assure the international

community, and the United Nations in particular,

that Libya is working tirelessly, with confidence and

determination, to establish State laws and institutions,

respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms

and the peaceful transfer of power, as well as to forge

positive partnerships with development partners that

are fully respectful of the interests of all countries,

including non-interference in the internal affairs of

other States, and to promote peace and security in

accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and

international laws and norms.

The people of Libya will always highly appreciate

the important role played by the United Nations in the

establishment of Libya, beginning with resolution 289

(IV), of 21 November 1949, on the independence of

Libya, through to the Security Council’s adoption of

resolutions 1970 (2011) and 1973 (2011), to protect Libyan

civilians and support the revolution of 17 February 2011.

That positive role continues through the United Nations

Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), which is making

commendable and praiseworthy efforts to provide

technical advice and training, raise awareness and

build capacity in various sectors in order to advance the

democratization process, achieve justice and national

reconciliation and rebuild modern State institutions.

UNSMIL has been crucial in launching and supporting

a national dialogue, which will start in a few days. The

Council of Ministers is now considering a draft law on

victims of rape and violence during the dictatorial era

and the liberation war.

In response to the relevant Security Council

resolutions, we are cooperating with the International

Criminal Court (ICC) in order to expand the scope of

investigations into those who committed crimes against

the Libyan people, through the implementation of the

mechanisms and rulings of the ICC and in line with

national legislation. We are looking forward to the

cooperation of the countries concerned, in particular

neighbouring countries, in surrendering and extraditing

the wanted individuals of the former regime.

We trust that an understanding will be reached

with the United Nations, and the Security Council

in particular, with regard to security and the need to

impose control over our vast land and sea borders and

to lift the ban on arms completely. Libya faces a broad

range of problems caused by illegal migration. This

requires efforts to be coordinated at the international

and regional levels in order to find an urgent solution

and curb the phenomenon of illegal migration, ensure

respect for the sovereignty of States, promote and

ensure the rights and dignity of the illegal migrants

themselves and enhance cooperation with international

organizations.

I would be remiss if I failed to express my

sincere gratitude to the International Organization

for Migration for its cooperation with the relevant

international institutions. I also wish to thank the

European Union for its assistance to Libya in curbing

the problem of illegal migration through its assistance

to Libyan institutions in securing the vast borders.

Libya faces a number of security threats, including

the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic

substances, illegal migration and arms smuggling. That

is why we hosted a regional ministerial conference

on border security in March 2012, which included the

adoption of the Tripoli action plan for border cooperation

and the establishment of mechanisms and structures

for cooperation and the sharing of information and

experience in the field of border protection and control.

In addition, last spring, the Libyan city of Ghadames

hosted a meeting of the Heads of Government of

Libya, Algeria and Tunisia to strengthen joint security

operations in addressing the challenges posed by

developments in the Sahel and Sahara regions.

We also contributed to the ministerial conference

on support to Libya in the areas of security, justice and

the rule of law, which was held in Paris in February

at the initiative of the Libyan interim Government and

with the support of the French and British Governments.

Two action plans were adopted at that meeting on the

development of the Libyan security and justice sectors.

The interim Government is sparing no efforts in

reactivating the role of the Arab Maghreb group to

promote political, development and security cooperation

and to promote the interests of all countries in North

Africa and the Arab Maghreb. Libya is taking all the

necessary steps to get back on the path to development

and to complete national projects in all sectors, which

requires substantial funds. It is crucial that we recover

the looted funds that were smuggled out of Libya. From

this rostrum, I reiterate the call that we made to all

States to cooperate with and help us locate and recover

those funds.

We also emphasize our request to the countries in

which there are Libyan investments to ensure the right

of the Libyan State to those investments and to prevent

any compromise thereof, especially in some countries

in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where coercive

measures have caused significant damage to those

investments.

My country attaches great importance to human

rights issues and to the process of safeguarding and

promoting those rights. Preventing any violations

in this area is therefore a priority for Libya’s interim

Government. That is why our Government, in

coordination with the General National Congress,

has taken a number of steps to that end. They include

amending or repealing legislation that is inconsistent

with the international obligations of the Libyan State in

the field of human rights, as well as setting in motion

a process of constitutional review of legislation that

runs counter to the provisions of the Constitutional

Declaration. We are also taking steps to ratify or accede

to certain international human rights conventions,

including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. Preparations are

under way to accede to other international agreements,

such as the Optional Protocol to the Convention against

Torture and the International Convention for the

Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

A further step includes developing a practical

mechanism for the implementation Human Rights

Council decision 19/39, in order to provide technical

assistance and capacity-building to Libya through

direct cooperation between the Libyan Government and

the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights, with the assistance of UNSMIL.

We are also establishing a ministerial committee to

follow up on the situation of human rights in Libya,

headed by the Minister of Justice and including the

deputy ministers of the interior, defence and culture,

as well as representatives of civil society. We are

making every effort to prepare for the visit to Libya

by High Commissioner Navi Pillay before the end

of this year. We hope that the visit will reinforce the

relationship between Libya and the Office of the High

Commissioner, in the mutual interests of both.

Libya contributes very seriously to the international

efforts to eliminate weapons of mass destruction

and safeguard international peace and security, and

we cooperate fully with international institutions

and organizations in this field. We reiterate the call

to conclude an unconditional and legally binding

instrument to protect non-nuclear States from the threat

or use of nuclear weapons, pursuant to the relevant

General Assembly resolutions and in line with the 1996

advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice

on the Legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons

(A/51/218, annex).

I also reaffirm Libya’s full support for international

efforts aimed at establishing additional zones free of

nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction

in various regions of the world. To contribute to

the achievement of that goal, Libya is working, in

coordination with its brothers in the League of Arab

States, to convene a successful conference on making

the Middle East such a zone — a conference that,

unfortunately, has been postponed. We call upon the

Secretary-General and other organizing parties to

make every effort, as stipulated in the 1995 resolution

on the Middle East and the outcome document of the

2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on

the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to convene

the conference before the end of 2013. We call upon all

States concerned to participate in in the conference in

order to ensure its success.

Libya shares the concerns of the international

community concerning the scourge of terrorism, which

is not exclusive to any particular religion, nationality

or culture. We have acceded to most international

instruments on combating terrorism and are

cooperating with other countries in order to conclude a

comprehensive convention on terrorism, in accordance

with resolution 66/105.

The Palestinian people have now been living in

truly tragic humanitarian conditions for more than six

decades, starting with their expulsion from their homes

and continuing with the annexation of most of their

territory, the confiscation and levelling of their land and

the demolition of their homes — all in flagrant violation

of international humanitarian laws and norms. The

time has now come for the international community to

assume its responsibilities to put an end to this tragedy

as soon as possible by taking urgent and decisive

action to ensure the full protection of the Palestinian

people and to put an end to their daily suffering and the

injustice done to them. That should be done through

a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue

that ends the occupation and enables the Palestinian

people to regain their territory and establish their own

independent Palestinian State, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif

as its capital, and makes it possible for all Palestinian

refugees to return to their homes, in accordance with

the relevant international resolutions.

The tragic developments taking place in Syria make

it incumbent upon the international community to put

an end to that human tragedy and stop the bloodshed

and destruction. We therefore call upon the Security

Council to act in accordance with the concept of the

responsibility to protect in order to find a solution to

the problem, through consensus among its members, so

as to save the Syrian people from the daily massacres

and help them to achieve their legitimate demands.

Libya once again calls upon the international

community and human rights institutions to put an end

to the human tragedy being experienced by the Muslim

Rohingya minority in Myanmar and to accelerate the

setting up of an international investigation committee

to bring those responsible for the tragedy before

international justice, ensure the return of the displaced

to their homes and provide compensation to the victims.

A revolution took place in Libya to put an end to

despotism and dictatorship, a revolution that was the

result of deep and long suffering. I assure the Assembly

that, with the will of the people who brought about

that revolution, our Government will build State

institutions, uphold the rule of law, protect its borders,

fulfil its promises, honour its obligations towards

neighbouring countries and work for the promotion of

peace and security. The revolution will achieve peace

and security. I wish the Assembly every success at this

session.