UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the UN political mission in Libya, or UNSMIL, for another year until Sept. 15, 2019.
Through resolution 2434, UNSMIL is mandated to support "an inclusive political process and security and economic dialogue within the framework of the Libyan political Agreement and UN Action Plan." Both are UN-led milestone documents addressing the political woes of the North African country.
The mission will also support "consolidation of the governance, security and economic arrangements of the Government of National Accord, including support for economic reform in collaboration with international financial institutions and subsequent phases of the Libyan transition process, including the constitutional process and the organization of elections."
The resolution further decides that UNSMIL should support key Libyan institutions, provision of essential services, delivery of humanitarian assistance, securing uncontrolled arms and countering their proliferation, among other tasks.
In addition, the document welcomes the progress in re-establishing UNSMIL's presence in Tripoli and the plans to do so in Benghazi as well.
There is new text requesting UNSMIL to assist the Government of National Accord in ensuring the protection of women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence.
The text also requests the secretary-general to reassess objectives for UNSMIL's mandated tasks, specifically focusing on "the steps required to set the constitutional basis for elections and to advance the political process from its current trajectory."
UNSMIL, short for UN Support Mission in Libya, is an integrated special political mission established on Sept. 16, 2011 by Security Council Resolution 2009 at the request of the Libyan authorities to support the country's new transitional authorities in their post-conflict efforts.
UNSMIL's mandate was modified and extended multiple times by Security Council resolutions, the last of which extended the mission to Sept. 15, 2018.
The mission under the leadership of a special representative of the secretary-general is overseen by the UN Department of Political Affairs, which provides guidance and operational assistance.
UNSMIL has substantive staff in political affairs, human rights, transitional justice, mine action, demobilization, development, women's empowerment, public information and communication, as well as support staff.
