Tetteh | Tells Security Council 4+4 Deal Paves Way for Elections Within 24 Months

Hanna Tetteh, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, said the mini-meeting agreement signed in Tripoli on 30 August 2026 had opened a way out of the political and institutional deadlock and set out a path to presidential and legislative elections under a unified executive authority within 24 months. At the same time, she warned of the impact of division on the country’s economy, security and living conditions.

Briefing the UN Security Council on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, in a session chaired by Greece and attended by Libya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Taher Al-Sunni, Tetteh said the progress had come after four months of deliberations. The road ahead, she said, still requires cooperation from Libyan institutions, support from the international community and a refusal to let obstructive parties derail the political process.

The 30 August agreement and the election roadmap

Tetteh said the mini-meeting agreement had won broad support at home and abroad. She pointed to the Security Council’s press statement of 8 September backing the approach of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the agreement, and to the welcome it received from the Government of National Unity, the Libyan National Army, the House of Representatives and Presidential Council Vice-President Musa Al-Koni, among others. She said this support reflected an awareness of the importance of ending the stalemate, unifying institutions capable of governing throughout Libya, and moving to elections to form a leadership that can deal with the challenges the country faces.

As a political agreement, she explained, it provides for reconstituting the board of the High National Elections Commission and for settling long-standing disputes over the constitutional and legal frameworks that could hinder the organisation of peaceful, inclusive and credible elections. It sets out a workable path to legislative and presidential elections under a unified executive authority within 24 months, she said.

The electoral commission and geographical balance

The envoy said consensus on the commission’s board had drawn on earlier decisions by the House of Representatives and the High Council of State concerning board membership. It also took into account factors including geographical balance in choosing the commission’s chairman, measured against how the leadership of the major sovereign institutions is distributed, so as to allow broader representation.

She praised what she described as the constructive spirit of both the current Board of Commissioners and the new board, and expressed confidence that the handover could be managed effectively. The mission stands ready to support the transition, she said, and its electoral experts will continue to provide technical advice to the new board.

House of Representatives endorses, High Council of State rejects

Tetteh said the agreement requires the House of Representatives and the High Council of State to endorse it within one month of its signing. The mission, she said, had encouraged both to approve it while recording any reservations, which could be addressed later when legislation is drafted.

She added that the House of Representatives endorsed the agreement on 14 September, on the basis of a statement of support signed by 103 of its members on 31 August. On 28 September, she said, the Speaker of the House informed the mission that laws had been adopted on approving the agreement, amending it and forming the board of the High National Elections Commission. The mission had taken note of those laws and decisions, she said, but stressed that any procedural or legal steps must respect the spirit of the consensus reached by the mini-meeting participants.

By contrast, she said, the High Council of State on 5 October rejected the agreement, as well as the laws and decisions referred to it by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The council cited concerns that they went beyond the constitutional, legal and consensual frameworks governing the political process, or undermined the powers assigned to the two chambers.

Tetteh expressed regret at the rejection, saying it reflected the limited willingness of some High Council of State members to engage constructively. However, she said a number of council members had expressed a wish to take part and, in a formal letter to the mission, had asked for more time to consult on the next steps.

Further consultations and a more representative national mechanism

The Special Representative stressed that Libya cannot allow those she described as spoilers to derail the process. She pledged to set out in her next briefing to the Security Council the outcome of the mission’s contacts with High Council of State members and the steps the mission proposes.

She said she intends to hold further consultations with the mini-meeting participants at a meeting scheduled for later in October. These will include discussion of the option of establishing a broadly representative national mechanism under Article 5 of the agreement, in consultation with the Security Council.

She noted that the mini-meeting is not the only mechanism the mission will rely on to implement the roadmap, and that elections cannot be separated from the wider institutional crises, particularly the division of the judiciary. She welcomed the readiness of the meeting’s participants to work with Libyan legal and judicial experts on practical steps to address that division, guarantee judicial independence and provide consistent legal protection for the integrity of elections.

The mission will continue to consult a wide range of Libyans on priorities for unifying institutions and preparing the ground for the vote, she said, drawing on the recommendations of the Advisory Committee and the Structured Dialogue. It will also keep engaging regional and international partners to strengthen support for a unified, Libyan-led political process and for the country’s stability.

Salehin Abdulnabi elected Speaker of the House of Representatives

Tetteh also addressed the change of leadership at the House of Representatives. She said the House voted on 5 October, with 102 members present, to amend its internal rules and introduce a rotating 12-month speakership, before electing a new Presidency Bureau on 6 October with 111 members present.

She congratulated Salehin Abdulnabi on his election as Speaker of the House of Representatives, along with the other members of the Presidency Bureau, and said the mission looked forward to working with the House on implementing the next steps of the roadmap and the mini-meeting agreement. She also thanked the outgoing Speaker, Aguila Saleh, for his leadership and engagement over 12 years.

Inflation tops 14% as food prices rise

Turning to the economy, the envoy said continued political and institutional division was undermining economic and security stability, even though global oil prices should, in her view, have given the state higher revenue that would be reflected in people’s lives.

She pointed to the erosion of Libyans’ purchasing power under the pressure of rising food prices and a weaker dinar, with inflation currently above 14% and access to basic services still difficult. Food prices alone rose by a further 3.8% in August, she said, with the pressure most acute in the western and southern regions, where food costs climbed sharply over the summer.

$8.9bn spent on fuel imports, with potential smuggling losses

Tetteh warned of the fiscal impact of fuel subsidies, saying that rising global prices since mid-2026, particularly for diesel, had increased the incentive to smuggle subsidised fuel illegally to foreign markets.

Libya imported a total of 8.15 million metric tonnes of fuel between January and September 2026 at a cost of $8.9 billion, she said. The estimates she presented indicate that between 30% and 50% of those imports are lost to smuggling, worth between $2.4 billion and $4.4 billion.

She said that while the state continues to bear the cost of the subsidy and a large share of the fuel is smuggled out, those involved in the illicit trade make huge profits. Meanwhile, the state incurs losses, citizens and vital institutions suffer shortages, and the state’s ability to pay public-sector salaries, maintain infrastructure and provide services is constrained. She singled out the south, which she said continues to suffer from fuel and electricity shortages.

Hamada and Sharara pipelines shut, a million barrels lost

Tetteh linked political and security unrest to damage to oil facilities. She said members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard from Zintan closed the pipeline from the Hamada field to Zawiya between 15 and 20 September, followed by a similar closure of the pipeline from the Sharara field to Zawiya between 21 and 26 September.

She said reports had attributed both disruptions to disputes over appointments linked to the region, and put the lost output at about one million barrels, worth up to around $100 million. She warned of the impact on salary payments and electricity generation.

She cautioned that attacks on Libya’s oil and energy facilities, or acts that weaken them, could provide grounds for measures under the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Teachers’ strike delays start of school year for 1.6 million pupils

Tetteh said the rising cost of living and persistent disparities in public-sector salaries were fuelling public discontent. She pointed to strikes and demonstrations in Tripoli and other areas during September by doctors and health and education workers over unpaid wage increases, working conditions and allowances.

She added that teachers began a nationwide strike on 27 September which, according to the briefing, delayed the start of the school year for about 1.6 million pupils in state schools across Libya.

These developments, she said, heighten the need for full implementation of the “Unified Development Programme” to strengthen coordination of public spending and development investment across the country.

Concern over suspended mayors

The UN envoy expressed concern at reports that a number of mayors had recently been suspended by decision of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Local Government in the government designated by the House of Representatives, after they had been in contact with officials in Tripoli.

She welcomed reports that some of the mayors had returned to their posts and that the suspensions of the others were expected to be lifted. She called on all parties to allow locally elected officials to do their jobs and serve their communities without interference.

East–west military meetings to unify institutions

On security, Tetteh described the overall situation as fragile but welcomed what she saw as positive steps towards cooperation between military and security institutions in the east and west. The mission will continue to encourage technical confidence-building measures between the two sides, she said.

She pointed to the meeting in Sirte on 12 July, facilitated by the mission, between the two chiefs of the General Staff, Lt Gen Salahuddin Al-Namroush and Lt Gen Khaled Haftar. This was followed by a meeting of naval, air force and air defence commanders in Sirte on 9 September to discuss practical ways of cooperating ahead of reunifying these branches.

She said the two General Staff commands had issued decisions to activate two joint centres for information-sharing and coordination on border security, in Benghazi and Tripoli. The centres bring together joint personnel from the Libyan National Army and the Government of National Unity, whose teams will handle communication and information exchange on border and security matters.

A further training course was held for the Joint Technical Coordination Team for Border Security to complete arrangements for operating the two centres, she said, and participants recommended organising joint security field visits related to border security.

Praise for Zawiya arrangements, warning on the south

Tetteh praised the efforts of the Security Arrangements Committee for the Western Coast in easing tension, reducing clashes and security incidents, and improving coordination in Zawiya and other cities in the western region.

She stressed the need for continued attention to southern Libya by strengthening the state’s presence, improving border management and addressing local grievances over services. The gap in public service provision between the north and the south, she said, had fuelled growing resentment and instability in the southern region.

58 executions in Benghazi and a call to halt them

On human rights, Tetteh said 58 people previously convicted in terrorism-related cases had been executed in Benghazi over the past two months. The charges, she said, included alleged membership of banned terrorist groups and/or involvement in the killing of military personnel and civilians.

She reiterated the mission’s position, set out in its statement of 16 September, calling for further executions to be suspended, procedures to be reviewed and fair-trial guarantees and due process to be respected. She stressed that imposing criminal penalties remains the sovereign prerogative of the state, provided it complies with its international human rights obligations.

She added that the mission had held intensive consultations with the relevant authorities and had taken note of the decision by the authorities in eastern Libya to give it access to the files of the death-penalty cases and to support visits to detention centres. She affirmed that cooperation would continue to support justice and to ensure fair trials, the right to life and compliance with international obligations.

Hate speech against migrants; UN denies permanent resettlement

Tetteh warned of the spread of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and incitement against refugees and migrants, including irregular migrants, as well as against humanitarian workers and UN agencies and staff in Libya, among them Libyan staff.

She said citizens’ legitimate concerns about migration must be addressed through responsible policies, dialogue and reliable information, not through incitement, intimidation and violence. She stressed that the United Nations respects Libyan sovereignty and is not working to facilitate the permanent settlement of migrants or refugees in the country.

She welcomed the response of the Libyan authorities to recent security incidents targeting migrants and UN facilities, and called for stronger efforts to counter disinformation and incitement, to protect migrants, humanitarian workers, UN staff and premises, and to prevent further violence and intimidation.

International obligations on refugee protection

The envoy said the fact that Libya is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention does not remove its obligations towards refugees under international human rights law. These include the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and the 1969 Organisation of African Unity Refugee Convention.

She stressed that Libya has the sovereign right to manage its borders and migration policies, but that this right must be exercised in line with its international obligations, including protecting people from arbitrary detention, torture, other forms of ill-treatment and forced return.

Security Council urged to hold spoilers accountable

Tetteh concluded her briefing by saying the mini-meeting agreement and the political progress of recent months show that results can be achieved through constructive engagement. However, she warned that significant differences remain. In her words, they are compounded by parties that refuse to engage constructively and use inflammatory rhetoric and disinformation — which could harden positions and weaken the chances of consensus, or be exploited to justify unilateral steps that threaten the political process and could ignite violence.

She said the mission’s priority is to create the conditions for peaceful and credible national elections in a calmer environment, and to unify institutions by drawing on the mini-meeting and other, more inclusive mechanisms, while ensuring broader representation of Libyan parties in the next phase.

She stressed the importance of the role of the Security Council and the international community in encouraging the parties and offering positive incentives and guarantees to those who take decisive steps to overcome division, as well as in holding spoilers to account. She urged the Council to press all sides to act quickly, given the fragility of the political, economic and security situation and its implications for regional stability.

The road to a stable, united and prosperous Libya remains long, she said, but the goal can be reached if there is flexibility and the political will to find common ground, if the Security Council continues to support the roadmap, and if Libyan leaders are held to their commitments to meet citizens’ aspirations for peace, stability and democratic governance.