UN Welcomes Libyan Deal to Move Toward National Elections

Libya’s rival political factions have reached an agreement on election rules and the composition of the country’s electoral commission, in what the UN Security Council has described as an important step towards holding national elections for the first time in more than a decade.

The 30 August agreement, reached through a UN-backed negotiating process, provides for a reconstituted High National Elections Commission and changes to the legal framework for parliamentary and presidential elections, which are to be held within two years under a unified government. The UN Security Council has urged Libya’s political leaders to implement the deal quickly and backed the UN mission led by Special Representative Hannah Tetteh.

However, Tetteh has warned that trust remains fragile among political leaders and ordinary Libyans, with major challenges including unifying the country’s divided military, security and economic institutions. She said stronger legal protections are needed to ensure women, facing online harassment and hate speech in public life, can participate in politics and civic affairs without intimidation.