UN welcomes Libya political dialogue

he UN Security Council on Monday welcomed a meeting of the Libyan Political Dialogue, and reiterated its concern about the growing terrorist threat in Libya.
The intra-Libyan political dialogue held on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to uphold the Libyan Political Agreement, a UN-brokered deal signed in December on forming a national unity government, the Security Council said in a press statement.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the agreement as among the “essential building blocks towards a peaceful, secure and prosperous Libya,” but also as “the beginning of a difficult journey” along that path.
The members of the Security Council said that the Political Dialogue valued the declaration signed by a majority of the members of the House of Representatives on Feb. 23 announcing their support for the Government of National Accord, the statement said.
“The members of the Security Council called on the Government of National Accord to finalize interim security arrangements necessary for stabilising Libya, and in the regard called upon Member States to respond urgently to requests from it for assistance,” said the statement.
“The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that the Government of National Accord should be based in the capital Tripoli,” said the statement.
Meanwhile, “the Security Council reiterated their concern about the growing terrorist threat in Libya, in particular from groups proclaiming allegiance to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and groups affiliated with Al Qaeda, and called on the Government of National Accord to urgently focus on combating this threat,” it said.