PRESS RELEASE : The ICC is an important tool to deliver justice for Libya through transparent investigation – UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 November 2023.
Statement by Chanaka Wickremasinghe, UK Legal Adviser to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Libya.
Thank you, Mr President. I would like to start by thanking Prosecutor Khan, for his important briefing today on the occasion of the 26th report of the Prosecutor of the ICC on the situation in Libya.
The United Kingdom gives its full support to the President’s ongoing investigations and we welcome his latest report to the Council.
We welcome the reports of good progress in the implementation of the renewed strategy of the Office of the Prosecutor, in particular the indication from the Prosecutor, that the Office will be in a position to outline a potential roadmap for completion of their activities pursuant to Resolution 1970 in his next report.
We welcome the update from the Prosecutor on the four key lines of inquiry in the strategy. We are pleased to note the increased engagement with witnesses, survivors and civil society, through the Office’s continuous presence in the region. Justice is vital to long-term security and stability.
We note also the progress made by the Office with respect to crimes against migrants and the efforts to work more closely with national authorities to deliver accountability for relevant crimes.
We recognise the Prosecutor’s call for resources to address identified strategic risks and the need to ensure the Office is sufficiently resourced to conclude its investigations.
The ICC is an important tool to deliver justice for Libya, through transparent investigation. We must therefore ensure the ICC is in a position that it can set out and deliver a roadmap to complete investigations, and to do justice for the people of Libya. In this respect, we welcome UNSMIL’s support and engagement with the ICC investigation.
However, we also emphasise the importance of cooperation of the Libyan authorities with the ICC investigation in accordance with the requirements of resolution 1970. Such cooperation includes the issue of visas to ICC staff, the provision of documentation and other evidence to the ICC, and the surrender of individuals subject to arrest warrants.
In conclusion Mr President, we underline that the UK remains committed to working with the Prosecutor’s Office and urge them along with the Libyan authorities, UNSMIL and others to build on the progress to date and to ensure the delivery of justice for the people of Libya.
