Libya: UN Hails Libya Election Deal As Security Council Urges Libyans to Seize the Moment

What the report says

The UN Security Council has welcomed a political breakthrough in Libya aimed at reviving preparations for national elections, according to UN News as republished by AllAfrica. In a statement issued Tuesday, council members endorsed an agreement reached on 30 August through a UN-brokered negotiation track known as the “Smaller Convening,” and urged Libya’s political leaders to move quickly from agreement to implementation.

The deal is intended to reset the board of Libya’s High National Elections Commission and amend the legal framework for parliamentary and presidential elections, which the parties say should be held within two years under a unified government. The council also reaffirmed support for the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and its head, Special Representative Hannah Tetteh.

The report places the development against Libya’s long-running political split, which grew out of the 2011 collapse of Muammar Gaddafi’s government and has left rival administrations, security structures and institutions divided. Tetteh said the agreement helps remove long-standing obstacles and gives the UN a chance to build trust with Libyan stakeholders, though she warned that confidence in the process remains fragile.

She also highlighted broader challenges, including public buy-in, unifying military and economic institutions, and protecting women from online harassment and hate speech that can discourage political participation. The UN said women accounted for 35% of participants in a recent dialogue process, underscoring the importance of wider civic inclusion as Libya seeks to move toward elections.