UN Security Council Welcomes Libya's August 30 Election Deal, Presses for Implementation

The UN Security Council issued a press statement on Tuesday, September 9, 2026 welcoming the '4+4' Smaller Convening committee's August 30 agreement — reconstituting the High National Elections Commission board and amending the legal framework for presidential and parliamentary elections within 24 months under a single executive authority — as 'an important step toward delivering free, fair, transparent and inclusive national elections and advancing the unification of Libya's institutions.' Council members reaffirmed 'full support' for UNSMIL and Special Representative Hanna Tetteh, who said the accord helped 'overcome issues that had stood in the way for many years,' while pressing Libyan political leaders to move quickly from paper commitments to implementation on the ground. The statement follows Secretary-General António Guterres' September 1 welcome of the signing and does not resolve earlier objections from Presidential Council head Mohamed al-Menfi and High State Council member Nuh al-Malati over the deal's legitimacy and the negotiating team's composition.