Mr. President,I would like to thank the Special Representative, the Permanent Representative of Japan, and Ms. Abir Imneina for their briefings. And I welcome the presence here today of the Permanent Representative of Libya. Holding national elections in Libya is within reach. France commends UNSMIL’s commitment to continuing its work with all institutions and with concerned Libyan actors, towards credible, inclusive, and transparent elections. France supports Special Representative Abdoulaye Bathily in achieving these goals.

Hundreds of refugees die as boat capsizes off Libya’s coastLibya is key transit route for migrants.

The Human Impact Assessment (HIA) provides comprehensive insights into how the February 2022 full-scale Russian invasion has affected areas such as living conditions, health, access to education, livelihoods, food security and gender equality. Helping to guide recoveryThe report considers the war’s impact across all areas of Ukraine which were under the control of the Government at the time of assessment. Most households reported that work had been affected since the start of the war, mainly due to job loss, salary cuts, and reduced hours. Additionally, 43 per cent of households reported that they have resorted to measures such as limiting portions, borrowing food, and/or eating cheaper foods. Two inter-agency convoys travelled to affected areas on Monday, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists attending the daily briefing at the global body's Headquarters in New York.

OTTAWA — The RCMP says it is not investigating allegations of political interference in the federal handling of criminal charges against engineering firm SNC-Lavalin. In 2015, SNC-Lavalin Group and two of its affiliates, SNC-Lavalin Construction and SNC-Lavalin International, were charged with corruption of a foreign public official and fraud stemming from business dealings in Libya. Under an agreement announced in December 2019, SNC-Lavalin Construction pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud over $5,000, agreeing to pay a $280-million penalty and be subject to a three-year probation order. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2023. The Canadian Press

NEW YORK CITY: Successful elections in Libya will require not only the establishment of a proper legal framework within which they can take place, but also a political agreement that ensures buy-in to the process from all stakeholders, the UN warned on Monday. Presidential and parliamentary elections were supposed to be held in December 2021 but did not take place, amid persistent differences of opinion among political factions on a number of key issues, including who should be allowed to stand. It also calls for the establishment of an interim, unified government tasked with organizing and conducting the elections. “The eligibility criteria for presidential elections, the linkage between presidential and parliamentary elections, and the issue of forming a new unified government are highly contentious and require, first and foremost, a political agreement among the major stakeholders and key constituencies across the Libyan political spectrum,” said Bathily. Short of such an agreement, the laws will not only remain impossible to implement, he added, they could also trigger a fresh crisis.

In the ensuing debate, Council members urged officials to advance the country’s political process and give the Libyan people the political and economic stability they deserve. Yet the mixed reception to their announcement shows the need for broader political agreement between Libyan power-holders. Successful elections require not only a legal framework but also a political agreement that guarantees the inclusion of all stakeholders. VANESSA FRAZIER ( Malta ) expressed support for political consensus and the legal framework needed to advance a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process. To maintain gains achieved by Libya, measures adopted by the Council must not impede the Libyan forces’ efforts to address security threats.

Shippex Libya 2023 exhibition opened today on the grounds of the Tripoli International Fair. The exhibition was visited by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, Suhail Boushiha, Nuri Matati, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Free Zones Affairs, Issam Al-Awl, Chairman of the General Authority for Exhibitions, and the commercial attachés of the Italian, Turkish and Tunisian embassies. The exhibition continues until Thursday 22 June.

Share this article Share Comment on this story CommentUNITED NATIONS — The U.N. special envoy for Libya said Monday he plans to intensify negotiations with the country’s feuding parties to reach “a final settlement” in the coming months on the most contentious issues blocking long postponed elections in the troubled north African nation. In the chaos that followed, the county split with the rival administrations in the east and west backed by rogue militias and foreign governments. In response, the country’s east-based parliament appointed a rival prime minister, Fathy Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli. Bathily has been briefing the council about every two months. He also expressed concern at “excessive controls by security agencies” restricting human rights i ncluding freedom of assembly and freedom of movement.

NEW YORK, June 19 —The United Nations envoy to Libya said today that proposed electoral laws agreed by a committee of two legislative bodies this month are “not sufficient to resolve the most contested issues and enable successful elections”. The envoy Abdoulaye Bathily, addressing the United Nations Security Council, added that failure to reach agreement among Libya’s rival sides could “trigger a new crisis”.

Boxer-cum-businessman Mohamed Ali Ahmed Elmushraty is wanted by Libyan authorities to answer murder and drug trafficking charges, a court has been told. Debono angrily interrupted, pointing out that a month has passed, four sittings have been held and yet only two civilian witnesses had been heard. It might not be possible to bring all of the civilian witnesses to testify in such a short timeframe, he explained. Agius Bonnici calmly pointed out that the court allocated an hour for prosecution witnesses and an hour for prosecution arguments “and that is exactly what we did. Debono said that instead of bringing their important civilian witnesses first, the court was hearing witnesses testify for the second time because of a technical problem with the recording.

The United Nations envoy to Libya said on Monday that proposed electoral laws agreed by a committee of two legislative bodies this month are "not sufficient to resolve the most contested issues and enable successful elections". The envoy Abdoulaye Bathily, addressing the United Nations Security Council, added that failure to reach agreement among Libya's rival sides could "trigger a new crisis". (Reporting by Angus McDowall; Editing by Toby Chopra)

CAIRO – 19 June 2023: Egypt’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hanafi Jabali, said that he signed an agreement was signed to enhance cooperation between the Libyan and Egyptian parliaments. He noted in a joint press conference with his Libyan counterpart Aguila Saleh, that under this signed agreement between the two houses, cooperation will be activated in all fields, including technical, administrative and financial. Egypt’s Parliament Speaker added that, more official visits will be exchanged between the members of the two parliaments and its delegations, as well as in transferring and exchanging experiences between the two sides. Egypt’s Speaker of the House of Representatives arrived at Benina International Airport on Monday morning, heading a high-level parliamentarian delegation as he was scheduled to deliver a speech in the Libyan Parliament, and then hold a meeting with Aguila Saleh, Speaker of the Libyan Parliament. For his part, Aguila Saleh asserted Libya’s appreciation to the Egyptian key role supporting the Libyan institutions.

The Libyan Red Crescent has announced the recovery of three unidentified bodies on the beaches of the Tokra area, east of the city of Benghazi, Libyan online media Fawasel Media reports, adding that the recovery took place “in collaboration with the local authorities”.

Libya has prevented 250 irregular migrants from leaving the country, the Libyan Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Sunday. Four suspects connected with an international human smuggling network were nabbed as part of the operation, the office said in a statement. The 250 irregular migrants were about to be taken out of the country by sea for obtaining financial benefits. Operations against irregular migration in Libya gained momentum after at least 79 irregular migrants died when their boat capsized and sank off the coast of southwestern Greece on June 14. Libya is considered a main transit point for migrants on their way to Europe seeking a better life.

The war-torn country is now divided between two rival political administrations. One is located in the capital Tripoli in the west and the other in the east of the country. Forces from rival administrations often raid neighborhoods where migrants are housed. Boats carrying migrants from shore are regularly intercepted by the Libyan navy, even in international waters where those on board are forcibly returned to detention centers.