At the outset,
I warmly congratulate Mr. John Ashe on his election as
President of the General Assembly. I wish him every
success in his endeavours. I also wish to convey my
greetings to His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon and to
commend him and his team for the remarkable efforts
they continue to exert in the realization of the lofty
purposes and principles that have been at the heart of
the United Nations since its inception.
I have the honour to speak before the Assembly
today on behalf of my country, the new Libya, which
is forging ahead towards democracy, establishing
State institutions, the rule of law, development and
prosperity, despite the range of political, economic,
social and cultural difficulties and obstacles we face
as a result of the burdensome legacy left behind by the
dictatorial regime. I wish to assure the international
community, and the United Nations in particular,
that Libya is working tirelessly, with confidence and
determination, to establish State laws and institutions,
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
and the peaceful transfer of power, as well as to forge
positive partnerships with development partners that
are fully respectful of the interests of all countries,
including non-interference in the internal affairs of
other States, and to promote peace and security in
accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and
international laws and norms.
The people of Libya will always highly appreciate
the important role played by the United Nations in the
establishment of Libya, beginning with resolution 289
(IV), of 21 November 1949, on the independence of
Libya, through to the Security Council’s adoption of
resolutions 1970 (2011) and 1973 (2011), to protect Libyan
civilians and support the revolution of 17 February 2011.
That positive role continues through the United Nations
Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), which is making
commendable and praiseworthy efforts to provide
technical advice and training, raise awareness and
build capacity in various sectors in order to advance the
democratization process, achieve justice and national
reconciliation and rebuild modern State institutions.
UNSMIL has been crucial in launching and supporting
a national dialogue, which will start in a few days. The
Council of Ministers is now considering a draft law on
victims of rape and violence during the dictatorial era
and the liberation war.
In response to the relevant Security Council
resolutions, we are cooperating with the International
Criminal Court (ICC) in order to expand the scope of
investigations into those who committed crimes against
the Libyan people, through the implementation of the
mechanisms and rulings of the ICC and in line with
national legislation. We are looking forward to the
cooperation of the countries concerned, in particular
neighbouring countries, in surrendering and extraditing
the wanted individuals of the former regime.
We trust that an understanding will be reached
with the United Nations, and the Security Council
in particular, with regard to security and the need to
impose control over our vast land and sea borders and
to lift the ban on arms completely. Libya faces a broad
range of problems caused by illegal migration. This
requires efforts to be coordinated at the international
and regional levels in order to find an urgent solution
and curb the phenomenon of illegal migration, ensure
respect for the sovereignty of States, promote and
ensure the rights and dignity of the illegal migrants
themselves and enhance cooperation with international
organizations.
I would be remiss if I failed to express my
sincere gratitude to the International Organization
for Migration for its cooperation with the relevant
international institutions. I also wish to thank the
European Union for its assistance to Libya in curbing
the problem of illegal migration through its assistance
to Libyan institutions in securing the vast borders.
Libya faces a number of security threats, including
the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances, illegal migration and arms smuggling. That
is why we hosted a regional ministerial conference
on border security in March 2012, which included the
adoption of the Tripoli action plan for border cooperation
and the establishment of mechanisms and structures
for cooperation and the sharing of information and
experience in the field of border protection and control.
In addition, last spring, the Libyan city of Ghadames
hosted a meeting of the Heads of Government of
Libya, Algeria and Tunisia to strengthen joint security
operations in addressing the challenges posed by
developments in the Sahel and Sahara regions.
We also contributed to the ministerial conference
on support to Libya in the areas of security, justice and
the rule of law, which was held in Paris in February
at the initiative of the Libyan interim Government and
with the support of the French and British Governments.
Two action plans were adopted at that meeting on the
development of the Libyan security and justice sectors.
The interim Government is sparing no efforts in
reactivating the role of the Arab Maghreb group to
promote political, development and security cooperation
and to promote the interests of all countries in North
Africa and the Arab Maghreb. Libya is taking all the
necessary steps to get back on the path to development
and to complete national projects in all sectors, which
requires substantial funds. It is crucial that we recover
the looted funds that were smuggled out of Libya. From
this rostrum, I reiterate the call that we made to all
States to cooperate with and help us locate and recover
those funds.
We also emphasize our request to the countries in
which there are Libyan investments to ensure the right
of the Libyan State to those investments and to prevent
any compromise thereof, especially in some countries
in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where coercive
measures have caused significant damage to those
investments.
My country attaches great importance to human
rights issues and to the process of safeguarding and
promoting those rights. Preventing any violations
in this area is therefore a priority for Libya’s interim
Government. That is why our Government, in
coordination with the General National Congress,
has taken a number of steps to that end. They include
amending or repealing legislation that is inconsistent
with the international obligations of the Libyan State in
the field of human rights, as well as setting in motion
a process of constitutional review of legislation that
runs counter to the provisions of the Constitutional
Declaration. We are also taking steps to ratify or accede
to certain international human rights conventions,
including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. Preparations are
under way to accede to other international agreements,
such as the Optional Protocol to the Convention against
Torture and the International Convention for the
Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
A further step includes developing a practical
mechanism for the implementation Human Rights
Council decision 19/39, in order to provide technical
assistance and capacity-building to Libya through
direct cooperation between the Libyan Government and
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights, with the assistance of UNSMIL.
We are also establishing a ministerial committee to
follow up on the situation of human rights in Libya,
headed by the Minister of Justice and including the
deputy ministers of the interior, defence and culture,
as well as representatives of civil society. We are
making every effort to prepare for the visit to Libya
by High Commissioner Navi Pillay before the end
of this year. We hope that the visit will reinforce the
relationship between Libya and the Office of the High
Commissioner, in the mutual interests of both.
Libya contributes very seriously to the international
efforts to eliminate weapons of mass destruction
and safeguard international peace and security, and
we cooperate fully with international institutions
and organizations in this field. We reiterate the call
to conclude an unconditional and legally binding
instrument to protect non-nuclear States from the threat
or use of nuclear weapons, pursuant to the relevant
General Assembly resolutions and in line with the 1996
advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice
on the Legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons
(A/51/218, annex).
I also reaffirm Libya’s full support for international
efforts aimed at establishing additional zones free of
nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction
in various regions of the world. To contribute to
the achievement of that goal, Libya is working, in
coordination with its brothers in the League of Arab
States, to convene a successful conference on making
the Middle East such a zone — a conference that,
unfortunately, has been postponed. We call upon the
Secretary-General and other organizing parties to
make every effort, as stipulated in the 1995 resolution
on the Middle East and the outcome document of the
2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to convene
the conference before the end of 2013. We call upon all
States concerned to participate in in the conference in
order to ensure its success.
Libya shares the concerns of the international
community concerning the scourge of terrorism, which
is not exclusive to any particular religion, nationality
or culture. We have acceded to most international
instruments on combating terrorism and are
cooperating with other countries in order to conclude a
comprehensive convention on terrorism, in accordance
with resolution 66/105.
The Palestinian people have now been living in
truly tragic humanitarian conditions for more than six
decades, starting with their expulsion from their homes
and continuing with the annexation of most of their
territory, the confiscation and levelling of their land and
the demolition of their homes — all in flagrant violation
of international humanitarian laws and norms. The
time has now come for the international community to
assume its responsibilities to put an end to this tragedy
as soon as possible by taking urgent and decisive
action to ensure the full protection of the Palestinian
people and to put an end to their daily suffering and the
injustice done to them. That should be done through
a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue
that ends the occupation and enables the Palestinian
people to regain their territory and establish their own
independent Palestinian State, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif
as its capital, and makes it possible for all Palestinian
refugees to return to their homes, in accordance with
the relevant international resolutions.
The tragic developments taking place in Syria make
it incumbent upon the international community to put
an end to that human tragedy and stop the bloodshed
and destruction. We therefore call upon the Security
Council to act in accordance with the concept of the
responsibility to protect in order to find a solution to
the problem, through consensus among its members, so
as to save the Syrian people from the daily massacres
and help them to achieve their legitimate demands.
Libya once again calls upon the international
community and human rights institutions to put an end
to the human tragedy being experienced by the Muslim
Rohingya minority in Myanmar and to accelerate the
setting up of an international investigation committee
to bring those responsible for the tragedy before
international justice, ensure the return of the displaced
to their homes and provide compensation to the victims.
A revolution took place in Libya to put an end to
despotism and dictatorship, a revolution that was the
result of deep and long suffering. I assure the Assembly
that, with the will of the people who brought about
that revolution, our Government will build State
institutions, uphold the rule of law, protect its borders,
fulfil its promises, honour its obligations towards
neighbouring countries and work for the promotion of
peace and security. The revolution will achieve peace
and security. I wish the Assembly every success at this
session.