12/03/2018 Political Affairs and Democracy
The Council of Europe should contribute to the efforts of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya to set up unified state structures in the country, said the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy today, approving a report by Attila Korodi (Romania, EPP/CD) on the situation in Libya. This would help put an end to the violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Libya, reduce the terrorist threat and stem migration flows, said the parliamentarians.
The draft resolution, unanimously adopted by the committee, states that this contribution could focus in particular on the drafting of the Libyan Constitution, through the Venice Commission, and support for electoral procedures in preparation for a constitutional referendum and then for parliamentary and presidential elections – in which the Assembly could serve as an election observer.
The report by Mr Korodi describes the failed political transition following the February 2011 uprising, and the institutional, regional and societal fragmentation of the country, resulting in de-stabilisation of the region and, for Europe, an increased security risk and migration flows.
The committee called on member States, in particular, to devise a new framework to offer migrants protection and to have asylum applications from those considered to be “extremely vulnerable” examined in safer neighbouring countries. It also expressed its support for the establishment of a task force involving European and African states to combat human traffickers.
Lastly, the parliamentarians expressed their support for the Action Plan which the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya presented on 20 September 2017. The committee also felt that the Libyan Political Agreement signed in Skhirat on 17 December 2015 remained the only framework in which an end could be brought to the Libyan crisis and that only the institutions deriving from this – in particular the Government of National Accord – had obtained international recognition.