On day four of UN-led talks to transform an uncertain truce in Libya into a permanent ceasefire, veteran negotiator Ghassan Salamé on Thursday welcomed the “progress” that had been made so far, before urging an end to any “provocative” military action that might dash the chance of a successful outcome.
“Progress has been made on many important issues and we have before us a significant number of points of convergence,” he said. “Is this complete? Certainly not, and that is why we are still working on refining our basic draft and on bridging the gap on a few points of divergence between that still exist between the two delegations.”
The talks in the Swiss city form part of an international push for peace in the oil-rich North African country.
In early January, Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladmir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured a truce agreement between the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) - led by commander Khalifa Haftar, who laid siege to Tripoli last April.
Although the truce had been accepted by both sides, Mr. Salamé noted earlier in the week that an international arms embargo on Libya has been broken “incessantly” since 2011, with evidence of increasing foreign interference in the form of weapons and fighters.
“During these talks, the negotiators would be certainly helped by more calm on the fronts and by the absence of any act - provocative act - on the military side,” the UN official continued, in reference to ongoing clashes.
While remaining positive about the Geneva meeting, which precedes separate discussions on the economic aspects of the ceasefire – due to begin on 9 February in Cairo – and political talks on 26 February – also at the UN in Geneva – Mr Salamé spoke frankly about the number of difficult issues facing both delegations.
“What do you do with the heavy weaponry, how to allow the internally displaced persons to go back to their homes, how to recivilianise the areas that have been basically a theatre of war, how do you deal with the armed groups, how do you deal with the monitoring of the ceasefire, who should monitor the ceasefire.”
And while the talks have not taken place face to face, this is the least of Mr. Salamé concerns, he insisted.
“Je ne suis pas venu à Genève pour avoir une photo avec deux personnes qui se serrent la main, ce n’est pas mon objectif. Mon objectif est d’arriver à un accord. Et s’il aurait été plus facile d’arriver à cet accord en ayant la mission, en faisant la navette entre les deux, je n’ai aucun problème avec cela. L’importance, c’est l’accord.”
(I didn’t come to Geneva for a photo opportunity of two people shaking hands, that’s not my objective. My goal is to reach an agreement. And if it turns out that it is easier to do this by shuttling between the two (delegations), I have no problem with that. The important thing is the agreement.”)
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Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Deportations over recent months of large numbers of non-nationals from the United States of America, especially to countries other than those of their origin, raise a number of human rights concerns, the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned on Tuesday.
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Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Over 50 child malnutrition deaths amid aid blockade; entire generation will be ‘permanently affected’ - WHO
In the aid desert of Gaza, malnourished children are dying while survivors can expect a lifetime of dire health problems, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
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Press Conferences | ILO , OHCHR , WHO , UN WOMEN
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, and UN Women.
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Press Conferences | UNRWA , UNICEF , OCHA , WHO , ITU , WFP , UNHCR
Rolando Gómez of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Telecommunications Union.
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Edited News | WHO , UNICEF , UNRWA
Israel’s aid plan will force Gaza families to choose ‘between displacement and death’ – UN humanitarians
Israel’s plan to take control of relief assistance in Gaza risks increasing the suffering of families already exhausted by 18 months of war by putting their lives in danger and inciting more displacement, using aid as “bait”, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
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Press Conferences | UNDP , UNHCR , WHO , UNECE , OCHA , WMO
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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Edited News | OCHA , WHO
UN Humanitarians reject Israeli plan to take over aid delivery
The reported Israeli proposal to deliver humanitarian supplies through hubs controlled by the military would be a breach of the core principles of neutral, impartial and independent aid delivery, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Tuesday.
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Edited News , B-roll | OCHA
Gaza: ‘Worst-case scenario’ unfolds as two-month aid blockade deepens suffering - OCHA
Two months into a devastating aid blockade of Gaza food has run out and people are fighting over water amid relentless bombing, the UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said on Friday.
/Includes OCHA footage from Gaza City/
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Press Conferences | UNDP , OCHA , UNHCR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations Refugee Agency.
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Edited News | UNRWA
Children in Gaza are going to bed starving, says aid agency
The biggest UN aid agency in Gaza on Tuesday condemned the two-month Israeli blockade on Gaza that has left families sharing a single tin of food at mealtime and the sick and injured without lifesaving medical help, amid daily bombardment.
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Press Conferences | IFRC , UNHCR , UNRWA
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
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Edited News | UNHCR
Ongoing Russian attacks in Ukraine force frontline areas to empty: UNHCR
With Ukrainian cities still reeling from this week’s deadly Russian missile and drone attacks, communities on the front line continue to be targeted too, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday. “We also see attacks on frontline regions increasing and it's, as always, civilians that are bearing the highest cost of the war,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.