The United Nations Security Council has welcomed an agreement between Libya’s rival political factions aimed at paving the way for long-delayed national elections within two years.
The UN-backed agreement, signed in Tripoli on August 30, was described by the Council as an important step towards ending the political deadlock that has left the oil-rich North African country deeply divided.
France’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, who is presiding over the Security Council this month, described the agreement as “an important step” towards holding free, fair and transparent national elections.
He also said the deal could advance efforts to unify Libya’s divided state institutions and fulfil the aspirations of its people.
Bonnafont stressed the need for all Libyan stakeholders to support the agreement and work towards its full implementation.
The Security Council also expressed its full support for the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, who has been leading international efforts to facilitate a political settlement in the country.
Libya has struggled with political instability and insecurity since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ended the rule of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The country remains divided between two rival administrations: the UN-recognised government based in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
The latest agreement builds on a UN roadmap unveiled in August 2025, which seeks to reform Libya’s electoral framework, unify the country’s divided executive institutions and create space for broader political dialogue.
National elections originally scheduled for December 2021 were postponed amid disputes over electoral rules and the eligibility of key political figures.
The latest initiative is therefore being closely watched as a potential pathway towards ending Libya’s prolonged political transition and restoring unified national institutions.
