Madam President,
I would like to thank Special Representative Abdoulaye Bathily and Ms Noura El Jerbi for their presentations and would like to expand on three points:
Firstly, on the political process: Switzerland remains convinced of the need to organise elections, recognising that it is the Libyans themselves who are calling for elections. We note the work done by the 6+6 Committee to reach agreement on draft electoral laws. It is imperative that unresolved issues are addressed. In order to create an environment conducive to fair and equitable elections, an inclusive pre-election agreement is necessary. We support a process under the auspices of UNSMIL and call on Libyan actors to engage constructively. As security is also a precondition for an environment conducive to elections, Switzerland is concerned about the very tense security situation, as demonstrated by the clashes that took place in Tripoli last week.
Secondly, the human rights situation: one of the lessons that Switzerland draws from its role as co-chair of the Working Group on Humanitarian Law and Human Rights within the Berlin Process is that it is crucial to give a voice to those who are facing the deterioration of the situation on a daily basis. Libyans – as we also heard from Ms El Jerbi – are telling us about a major concern: the space for civil society is constantly shrinking. The Secretary-General’s latest report confirms this: the excessive controls and bureaucratic restrictions imposed by security actors continue to increase. Switzerland supports the Secretary-General’s call for these measures to be lifted, in particular Law No. 19 of 2001. This law restricts the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly of all individuals, including members of civil society, in clear contradiction with Libya’s obligations under international human rights law.
Switzerland is particularly concerned about the violations and abuses of which women and girls are victims, whether Libyan or foreign. Sexual and sexist assaults, particularly in places of detention, must be stopped, prevented and punished. The inclusion of women in political processes, such as elections and the national reconciliation process, is also essential. They must be able to participate in complete safety, without harassment, intimidation or restrictions on their freedom of movement and fundamental rights.
Touching on the subject of sanctions, they must be implemented effectively, in compliance with the decisions of the Security Council. Strengthening fair procedures in sanctions regimes is also important. Switzerland welcomes the work of the Ombudsman of the Daech and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in promoting the application of the rule of law in UN sanctions. In this respect, we stress the relevance of this mechanism for examining de-listing requests for other sanctions regimes such as this one. In this regard, Switzerland recalls the letter addressed to the Security Council by the Group of Like-Minded States on Targeted Sanctions, reference S/2023/486.
I thank you.