UN report notes polarisation in Libya and reduction of UN presence

On 29 August, the UN published a report outlining the UN Secretary General’s (UNSG) overview of the Libyan crisis as presented to the UN Security Council on 26 August. The report detailed the political, economic and security developments in Libya. Notably it stated that the conflict in southern Tripoli has “further polarised an already fragmented political landscape” with both sides “engaged in efforts to garner international support.” The report called for a one-year extension to the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) mandate in Libya strengthen the UN stance that there is no military solution to the current conflict. Additionally, the report called for UN members states to observe the arms embargo on Libya.The report will likely serve to establish an agenda for the excepted side-line meetings between the international community on Libya at the UN General Assembly in New York on 17 September. Moreover, the statements coincided with the conclusion of the G7 summit, where the latter called for an international conference with local, regional and international actors involved in the conflict. This conference is expected to be take place in Berlin in the coming months. However, it remains unclear how the UN intends to establish and implement tangible mechanisms for building international consensus and ensuring UN member states actually abide by their commitments regarding Libya.