Libya, 2025

The Assembly will hear an address now by His Excellency Muhammad Yunus Memfi, President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya. I request Protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. Your Excellency Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Your Excellency Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. On behalf of the Libyan people, I congratulate you on the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations. It remains one of the greatest pillars of the international order, one of the beacons of multilateralism over the history of humanity. We appreciate the holding of this session under the theme Better Together 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights. These are principles that we firmly believe in, principles that we are consolidating at the national, regional and international levels. As we celebrate this global anniversary, we're also celebrating the 70th anniversary of Libya joining the United Nations. It was the culmination of the struggle of the Libyan people when Libyans raised their voices in this hall demanding freedom and independence following decades of colonization. The organization heeded this urgent call and adopted the historic resolution that led to the independence of Libya in 1951, reaffirming thereby the right of peoples to self-determination. Ladies and Gentlemen, I stand before you today representing the will of a people that is still holding on to hope, still believing in its ability to build a stable and prosperous future. Libya is not a zone for fighting, it's not an arena to settle scores or a place to which crises can be exported. It is a nation rich in natural resources, a cohesive society with young people that have tremendous potential. They are the backbone to build a modern state. Since the very beginning, Libya's relationship with the United Nations has been based on partnership and mutual respect. And today, at this critical juncture, we look to the United Nations to play an effective and complementary role as it supports us to overcome this crisis towards stability and democracy. Despite the challenges, despite the threats, our people firmly believe that its experience, its society, the diverse society, its noble history will allow it to stay strong and overcome any crisis. But let me be honest with you. In Libya, multiple models and traditional mechanisms have been exhausted. They have not matched the complexity of the social and political situation. They have adversely affected the trust of Libyans in the proposed solutions. We all now bear a collective responsibility to reconsider these methods and to avoid temporary solutions and narrow understandings that only perpetuated the crisis. We firmly believe that any solution that does not restore the national ownership of the political track, any solution that is not derived from the free will of the Libyan people would be destined to fail, as we've seen in the past. In this context, we present to you a clear political vision based on four pillars. First, fully restoring national sovereignty and rejecting all forms of foreign interference, no matter what form it might take and no matter the justifications. Second, reaching an inclusive national consensus. To achieve an inclusive national consensus, I call for holding a sincere and comprehensive dialogue held in Libya with the participation of all stakeholders without exclusion. Third, uniting the sovereign institutions, most notably security, defense and financial institutions according to professional mechanisms without polarization and without setting quotas. Fourth, ending the transitional period through a clear constitutional basis, through free and fair elections, allowing Libyans to freely choose who would rule them without tutelage, without an imposition from external actors. Ladies and gentlemen, as we fulfill our political responsibility and despite the challenges, we were able to maintain the highest level of stability. We were able to prevent a relapse into violence. We stress that the blood of the Libyan people is a red line. The territorial integrity, sovereignty and social cohesion of Libya are non-negotiable. We have been observing the ceasefire agreement concluded in October 2020 and we've established the Committee on Security Arrangements in the capital Tripoli. Under my direct supervision, this contributed to enhancing stability, rendering this current phase one of the calmest we've seen in years. Ladies and gentlemen, the Libyan economy, despite the challenges, can significantly contribute to the development of the country. The absence of a single budget and the absence of united institutions have been real impediments to development. We stress that we will support, and we do support, the economic track through the High Financial Committee to consolidate public spending and to enhance the principles of transparency, accountability and equity in distributing wealth. Ladies and gentlemen, illegal migration is not only a security matter, it is a humanitarian challenge with deep economic roots. We call upon the international community to pursue a comprehensive development approach based on supporting and developing infrastructure and creating job opportunities in the countries of origin, in partnership with the African Union, rather than pursuing narrow security approaches that have proven to be ineffective. In this context, we have been supporting economic projects connecting the north and the south of the African continent to create a development environment obviating the need for young people to emigrate, projects that restore demographic and economic balance in the African continent. Ladies and gentlemen, our firm position towards the question of Palestine is based on humanitarian principles and based on our commitments towards the Arab and Muslim world. Against this background, we condemn in the strongest terms the countries that are still hiding behind immoral neutrality towards the genocide and flagrant violations of international law to which the Palestinian people are being subjected, especially in Gaza. It was eight decades ago that the United Nations was established and the Palestinian people is still languishing under the yoke of occupation. We call for responsible international action that ends the occupation and guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Ladies and gentlemen, despite the crises, despite the conflicts, despite the divisions that Libya had to endure, the Libyan people is still committed to the democratic track, is still believing that the rule of law and democratic institutions are not a dream but a legitimate right. It is time for the world to look at Libya not as a complicated political file but as a story of resilience and free will, a nation that can be successful with a noble history, cohesive society, promising resources and free people aspiring to peace, democracy and prosperity. Democracy is our choice and peace and reconciliation are our destiny. Our history proves that our people can achieve reconciliation, can promote tolerance and justice. We most certainly can turn the page on the past. National reconciliation is not only necessity to build the state, it is a national legacy that we cherish. We see the future Libya, a stable state, a sovereign state with united institutions, strong with its people, peaceful, open to the world and an effective partner at the regional and international levels. Long live Libya, united and independent. Long live the Libyan people, free and dignified. May the peace, blessings and mercy of God be upon you. On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya.