UN / LIBYA

STORY: UN / LIBYA
TRT: 2:15
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / ENGLISH / RUSSIAN / NATS

DATELINE: 12 FEBRUARY 2020, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior

12 FEBRUARY 2020, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, French and Russian ambassador speaking ahead of meeting
4. Zoom in, Libyan delegation joining meeting
5. Med shot, Security Council President voting in favour of resolution
6. Pan left, Security Council members voting in favour of resolution
7. Med shot, Russian ambassador after abstaining
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Juergen Schulz, Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations:
“With the adoption of this resolution, the Security Council sends an important signal for peace in Libya, reaffirming the concrete commitments of all participants of the Berlin conference. It is crucial for Libya that we are able to send this signal of unity.”
10. Wide shot, ambassadors
11. SOUDBITE (Russian) Vassily A. Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“We seriously doubt this kind of ultimatum will spur Libyans to reach an agreement quicker. We sincerely would like the Security Council resolutions on Libya to be implemented. We would like this document to be viable. However, we don’t think that based on this text that will be possible. Therefore, we could not vote in favour of it. And if this resolution will not be implemented, we will remind you of what we have said today.”
12. Wide shot, Libyan ambassador addressing Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Taher Elsonni, Permanent Representative of Libya to the United Nations:
“Today’s resolution undoubtably represents a public declaration of the failure of the military adventure carried out by the aggressor, his backers, and those wagering on him; the failure of the usurpation of authority by force and the coup against legitimacy. Here we are today trying again to return to dialogue and a peaceful resolution which we almost achieved last April. We hope that the countries who supported the aggression - which caused the killing and displacement of Libyans and deepened their wounds – are convinced that the era of imposing solutions by force is long gone.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council

STORYLINE:

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution today (12 Feb) endorsing the conclusions of the Berlin Conference on Libya and demanded that parties to the conflict commit to a lasting ceasefire according to the terms agreed by the Joint Military Commission.

Resolution 2510 condemned the recent increase in violence and the recent blockade of oil facilities and stressed that operations should continue unimpeded for the benefit of all Libyans. It also recalled the commitments made in the Berlin Conference, which took place on 19 January, and demanded that all countries not to intervene in the conflict or take measures that exacerbate the conflict.

The resolution received 14 votes in favour, with the Russian Federation abstaining from the vote.

German ambassador Juergen Schulz welcomed the adoption adding that it comes days before the international follow up meeting which will coordinate efforts to ensure the implementation of the Berlin Conference conclusion. He said Germany was encouraged by the progress made on implementing some of the conclusions and called on parties to continue to cooperation in the 5+5 Joint Military Committee to work out the conditions for a ceasefire.

Schulz said, “With the adoption of this resolution, the Security Council sends an important signal for peace in Libya, reaffirming the concrete commitments of all participants of the Berlin conference. It is crucial for Libya that we are able to send this signal of unity.” He said implementing the existing arms embargo remained key, adding that the international community demonstrated its strong resolve to hold violators accountable with this resolution.

Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said there was no clear understanding yet whether all the Libyan parties were ready to implement the conclusions of the Berlin Conference. He said many Council members were interested in adopting a resolution independent of how it would be implemented.

Nebenzia asked why the Council could not wait for the outcome of the Libyan dialogue which has just started to adopt a resolution, adding that only the Libyans should determine the future of their country. He stressed that the resolution prescribed certain steps to do something that does not exist yet and provides for the possibility of sanctions for not implementing a ceasefire that does not exist yet.

The Russian ambassador said, “We seriously doubt this kind of ultimatum will spur Libyans to reach an agreement quicker. We sincerely would like the Security Council resolutions on Libya to be implemented. We would like this document to be viable. However, we don’t think that based on this text that will be possible. Therefore, we could not vote in favour of it. And if this resolution will not be implemented, we will remind you of what we have said today.”

Libyan ambassador Taher Elsonni welcomed the adoption of the resolution adding that it “undoubtably represents a public declaration of the failure of the military adventure carried out by the aggressor, his backers, and those wagering on him; the failure of the usurpation of authority by force and the coup against legitimacy.” He hoped that the conclusions of the Berlin Conference would be binding for all.

Elsooni said, “Here we are today trying again to return to dialogue and a peaceful resolution which we almost achieved last April. We hope that the countries who supported the aggression - which caused the killing and displacement of Libyans and deepened their wounds – are convinced that the era of imposing solutions by force is long gone.”