Recent months have seen Libya paralysed by intensifying conflict, with competing factions vying for political legitimacy and control of cities and infrastructure.
The continuing UN brokered talks on Libya are an important development. My hope is that this dialogue process will, with the benefit of full participation by all relevant actors, soon reach agreement on a government of national unity and a sustainable ceasefire.
I pay tribute to Bernardino Leon who has been leading the UN efforts to foster a negotiated political solution to the Libyan crisis.
In recent months, I have engaged in many discussions of the evolving Libyan crisis, including with my European counterparts at meetings of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
In my view, the lack of effective governance and the rule of law in Libya is one factor which contributes to the levels of uncontrolled and dangerous migration emanating from Libyan shores.
Ireland is supporting the development of a comprehensive strategy to address this human emergency across various strands at EU level. This includes tackling the root causes through continued provision of development assistance as well as supporting conflict resolution and capacity building in source countries in sub-Saharan Africa; preventing further loss of life at sea by countering the criminal activities of smugglers who drive this trade in human misery and exploit vulnerable people for profit; as well as performing search and rescue tasks as necessary. The overall EU strategy also envisages a fairer sharing of responsibility for relocation and resettlement on which Ireland’s engagement is led by my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality.
