LIBYA AFTER PARIS: A FRAGILE CONSENSUS FOR THE ELECTIONS
The MED This Week newsletter provides expert analysis and informed insights on the most significant developments in the MENA region, bringing together unique opinions on the topic and reliable foresight on future scenarios. Today, we focus on the Paris Conference on Libya, where representatives of national governments and international institutions with vested interests in the country gathered in support of the implementation of Libya’s transitional process.
On November 12th, under the diplomatic initiative of France, Italy, Germany, and the UN, several regional and international leaders gathered in Paris to attend the conference on Libya. While all the highest offices of Libyan transitional authorities were present, Turkey’s participation with a lower-level representative may suggest that the international consensus around the country’s future may not be as solid as it appears. Nonetheless, the final joint declaration contained several statements on a number of important issues. Besides expressing their unanimous commitment to hold the presidential elections on December 24th, the participants urged the full implementation of the Action Plan for withdrawing mercenaries and foreign forces from the Libyan territory. Given the large presence of international fighters on the ground, the extent to which this call will be implemented remains uncertain. The international community also urged the Libyan authorities and relevant actors to respect and safeguard the integrity and unity of Libyan financial institutions, such as the Libyan Central Bank and the National Oil Corporation (NOC). Finally, a general condemnation of human rights violation underlined the centrality of the debate around the respect of human rights and international law in the Libyan context. Against this backdrop, the results of the Paris conference suggest a growing consensus among European actors. At the same time, some divergences persist as regards other international actors, mainly Russia and Turkey. In this context, such differences could represent a factor of instability ahead of the December elections.
Experts from the ISPI MED network react to the outcome of the Paris international conference for Libya.
