Thank you, Mr. President. Let me begin by thanking Prosecutor Khan for his briefing today on his office’s 27th report on the situation in Libya.
The United Kingdom reiterates our support for the ongoing investigation and welcomes the prosecutor’s latest report to the Council.
The UK was pleased to read in the report of the progress made in the investigation during this reporting period. We note in particular the large number of missions and the extended fieldwork carried out by the office over the past six months. We especially welcome Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan’s visit to Tripoli and Tunis in April of this year, to engage with victim groups directly.
We also welcome the publication of the roadmap. This outlines a clear pathway for the completion of the investigative phase. We were pleased to read in the report that the office has actively sought input from civil society partners, victims and their representatives, and given their views, their consideration during the development of the roadmap.
In order to achieve the objectives set out in the roadmap, we agree with the prosecutor that active cooperation from the Libyan authorities will remain necessary. We, therefore, welcome the news that cooperation and collaboration with Libya have increased significantly during this reporting period. It is clear that sustained cooperation will be required in order to support the completion of the investigative phase by the end of 2025 and to ensure success thereafter.
We were also pleased to hear today of the plan for the establishment of a liaison office in Tripoli. We hope this will support the transition from the investigative phase, facilitate further information sharing and further consolidate the partnership between Libya and the Office of the Prosecutor.
Madam President, in conclusion, we reiterate the UK’s continued commitment to working with the prosecutor and urge them along with the Libyan authorities, UNSMIL and others to build on the progress made, in order to deliver justice for the people of Libya.
