Tetteh set to present comprehensive roadmap on Libyan elections to the UN Security Council

19th July 2025

3 minutes read

Tetteh set to present comprehensive roadmap on Libyan elections to the UN Security Council

As political and security tensions rise in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, the United Nations is intensifying efforts to revive a long-stalled political process, paralyzed by deep-rooted disagreements among Libyan factions.

In this context, the UN Special Representative to Libya, Hanna Tetteh, announced that her mission is preparing to submit a comprehensive roadmap to the UN Security Council during her upcoming briefing in August. The initiative aims to revive the political track and pave the way for long-awaited national elections.

Having led extensive consultations over the past weeks, Tetteh emphasized that elections represent the only viable path out of the current division and political paralysis. She pointed out that the lack of consensus between existing institutions and overlapping mandates has created a fragile reality that threatens further escalation.

While acknowledging the complexity of the internal landscape—especially in light of what she described as “deliberate obstruction” by stakeholders benefiting from the status quo—Titteh hinted at the possibility of taking firmer actions, such as imposing individual sanctions or introducing measures to hold accountable those who undermine the political process.

A key feature of the UN’s recent approach has been broad-based consultations, gathering input from over 12,500 Libyans through direct meetings and virtual sessions involving youth, women, unions, and academic representatives from across the country.

According to Titteh, these consultations revealed widespread frustration and a deep lack of trust in both executive and legislative institutions. Participants voiced urgent demands to end the transitional phases and establish legitimacy through democratic elections.

She stated that the mission is working to formulate an inclusive vision that reflects these public views while taking into account geographical and political differences. The goal is to secure the broadest possible national consensus.

Organizing credible elections, she noted, requires more than political agreement. It also demands a stable security environment, an updated legal framework, and enhanced capacity for the High National Elections Commission. The UN is also coordinating with local authorities to remove barriers to municipal elections in areas where they were delayed—seen as a preliminary step toward national polls.

Meanwhile, political tensions are resurging between Libyan institutions, particularly the House of Representatives and the Presidential Council. The legitimacy of presidential decrees is once again under scrutiny.

In a notable statement, Speaker Aguila Saleh declared such decrees “legally void,” asserting that only the elected legislative body has the authority to enact laws. The Presidential Council had previously issued decrees freezing the Constitutional Court Law and addressing referendum and reconciliation matters, which triggered strong objections from Parliament.

These disputes remain key obstacles to achieving any national consensus necessary for organizing elections.

On the ground, Tripoli is witnessing military build-ups and armed group movements, raising fears of renewed clashes. The fragile security situation and the lack of a unified central authority further complicate matters.

Despite UN efforts to ease tensions through engagement with local actors, the lack of trust and conflicting loyalties among armed groups keep the situation on a knife edge, posing significant challenges to the international mission.

In this context, Titteh has continued her diplomatic outreach. She recently met with the German ambassador to Libya, Ralf Tarraf, to discuss political and security developments, as well as preparations for an upcoming retreat involving the international track’s co-chairs before the end of July. The goal is to revitalize coordination among international partners.

Both parties stressed the importance of maintaining stability in the capital and implementing the outcomes of the Berlin monitoring committee meeting, in support of a Libyan-led political solution under UN auspices.

Amid these rapid developments, Libya’s political landscape remains complex and unpredictable, as the international and domestic communities closely monitor whether Tetteh’s initiative can truly break the years-long deadlock and lay the foundation for a final transition toward a state governed by law and institutions.