UNSC briefing on Libya by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC)

(09 November 2022; 10:00 hrs EST/)

Statement by Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj
Permanent Representative of India to the UN

Mr. President,

    I thank the Prosecutor, Mr. Karim Khan, for his briefing today with regard to Libya.

  2. Let me place on record that India is not a signatory to the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court.

  3. The referral to the ICC has had no effect in bringing about cessation of violence or restoration of stability in Libya. Mr. President, The situation in Libya continues to be of concern to us. The political stalemate and the subsequent mobilization of armed groups in Libya have the potential to undermine the gains made since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in October 2020. There is no military or armed solution to the issues facing Libya. The immediate priority is to resolve all outstanding issues in arriving at a Constitutional basis for holding Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Holding elections at the earliest in a free, fair, inclusive, and credible manner is an urgent imperative. We also need to send a clear message that violence in any form is condemnable and would undermine the progress achieved since 2020.

  4. The political process in Libya should be fully Libyan-led and Libyan-owned with no imposition or external interference. India for its part remains committed to supporting Libya and the Libyan people in their endeavour to seek lasting peace and stability.

I thank you.