UN Security Council endorses outcome of Berlin Conference on Libya

UNITED NATIONS - The Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to endorse the outcome of last month's Berlin Conference on Libya.

Resolution 2510 won the support of 14 of the 15 members of the Security Council. Russia abstained.

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said after the vote that there should have been no rush in the council.

Resolution 2510 endorses the outcome of the Berlin Conference held on Jan 19 and notes that the outcome represents "an important element of a comprehensive solution" to the situation in Libya.

Participants of the Berlin Conference, including the representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council, agreed to respect an arms embargo imposed on Libya by the Security Council and to work in military, economic, and political spheres toward peace in Libya.

Resolution 2510 condemns the recent increase in levels of violence and demands the parties in Libya commit to a lasting cease-fire.

It welcomes the nomination of representatives to the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) of the UN-backed government in Tripoli and the rival east-based Libyan National Army (LNA), and calls for the meetings of the JMC to continue to take place in order to agree on a permanent cease-fire, including the terms of reference for a cease-fire monitoring and verification mechanism, the separation of forces, confidence-building measures and the establishment of associated working groups supported by the United Nations.

The resolution requests the UN secretary-general to submit an interim report on the necessary conditions for, and proposals on effective cease-fire monitoring under the auspices of the United Nations, when a cease-fire is agreed on by the Libyan parties.

The resolution recalls the commitments made at the Berlin Conference to abide by the arms embargo and demands full compliance by all member states with the arms embargo, and demands all member states not to intervene in the Libyan conflict or take measures that exacerbate the conflict.

Libya has been plagued by insecurity and political division since the fall of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The latest major conflict began in April 2019 when the LNA launched an offensive on Tripoli and the UN-backed government there.