The United Nations will convene a technical committee of Libyan experts in an attempt to resolve contentious issues and put the country on the path to long-awaited national elections, the acting head of the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Sunday.
A political process to resolve more than a decade of conflict in Libya has been stalled since an election scheduled for December 2021 collapsed amid disputes over the eligibility of the main candidates.
The new committee of Libyan experts will look for ways to overcome outstanding issues in electoral laws, the UN mission’s (UNSMIL) acting head, Stephanie Koury, said in a video statement.
They will also look for options to “reach elections in the shortest possible time including with proposed guarantees, assurances and a timeframe,” she added.
A Government of National Unity (GNU) under Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah was installed through a UN-backed process in 2021 but the parliament no longer recognizes its legitimacy. Dbeibah has vowed not to cede power to a new government without national elections.
Libya has had little peace since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, and it split in 2014 between eastern and western factions, with rival administrations governing in each area.
While all major political players in the country have repeatedly called for elections, many Libyans have voiced skepticism that they genuinely seek a vote that could push most of them from positions of authority.
“UNSMIL will also continue to work to help advance the unification of military and security institutions and, with partners, advancing national reconciliation,” Koury said.
![]()
UN launches fresh attempt to resolve Libya’s election impasse
Short Url
https://arab.news/69m5g
UN launches fresh attempt to resolve Libya’s election impasse
- The new committee of Libyan experts will look for ways to overcome outstanding issues in electoral laws, the UN mission’s (UNSMIL) acting head, Stephanie Koury says
China FM tells EU diplomats not to blame Beijing for bloc’s problems
BEIJING: China’s foreign minister told his French and German counterparts that Beijing was not to blame for Europe’s economic and security problems as he pushed for more cooperation at a summit in Munich, a foreign ministry statement said Saturday.
Wang Yi made the comments at a meeting with France’s Jean-Noel Barrot and Germany’s Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
He sought to promote China as a reliable partner of the European Union at a time when the bloc is trying to reduce its dependence on both Beijing and an increasingly unpredictable Washington.
“China’s development is an opportunity for Europe, and Europe’s challenges do not come from China,” Wang said, according to the statement.
Warning that “unilateralism, protectionism, and power politics” were on the rise globally, he said he hoped Europe would “pursue a rational and pragmatic policy toward China.”
“The two sides are partners, not adversaries; interdependence is not a risk; intertwined interests are not a threat; and open cooperation will not harm security.”
The meeting came against the backdrop of trade tensions between the two giant economies and disputes over what the EU sees as China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The EU is seeking to cut its reliance on China for strategic goods like rare earths while also rebalancing a trade relationship that sees it run a large deficit with the world’s second-largest economy.
In recent years, the two sides have clashed over Chinese electric-vehicle exports, which threaten Europe’s car industry and which Brussels argues are based on unfair subsidies, and Chinese tariffs on EU goods ranging from cheese to cognac.
Wang urged Germany and France to help “give a clear direction for the development of China-Europe relations.”
In a separate meeting with Wadephul — also on Friday — Wang touted economic and trade cooperation as “the cornerstone of China-Germany ties,” according to a foreign ministry readout.
Wang also met Britain’s foreign minister Yvette Cooper, telling her that Beijing and London should “explore more potential for cooperation,” while the two sides also discussed Ukraine and Iran.
Wang Yi made the comments at a meeting with France’s Jean-Noel Barrot and Germany’s Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
He sought to promote China as a reliable partner of the European Union at a time when the bloc is trying to reduce its dependence on both Beijing and an increasingly unpredictable Washington.
“China’s development is an opportunity for Europe, and Europe’s challenges do not come from China,” Wang said, according to the statement.
Warning that “unilateralism, protectionism, and power politics” were on the rise globally, he said he hoped Europe would “pursue a rational and pragmatic policy toward China.”
“The two sides are partners, not adversaries; interdependence is not a risk; intertwined interests are not a threat; and open cooperation will not harm security.”
The meeting came against the backdrop of trade tensions between the two giant economies and disputes over what the EU sees as China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The EU is seeking to cut its reliance on China for strategic goods like rare earths while also rebalancing a trade relationship that sees it run a large deficit with the world’s second-largest economy.
In recent years, the two sides have clashed over Chinese electric-vehicle exports, which threaten Europe’s car industry and which Brussels argues are based on unfair subsidies, and Chinese tariffs on EU goods ranging from cheese to cognac.
Wang urged Germany and France to help “give a clear direction for the development of China-Europe relations.”
In a separate meeting with Wadephul — also on Friday — Wang touted economic and trade cooperation as “the cornerstone of China-Germany ties,” according to a foreign ministry readout.
Wang also met Britain’s foreign minister Yvette Cooper, telling her that Beijing and London should “explore more potential for cooperation,” while the two sides also discussed Ukraine and Iran.
Latest updates
Recommended
© 2026 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.