The UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously decided to extend for one more year the authorization for member states to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya, UNSC President Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the UN Mansour Al-Otaibi said on Monday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th June, 2019) The UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously decided to extend for one more year the authorization for member states to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya, UNSC President Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the UN Mansour Al-Otaibi said on Monday."The result of the voting is as follows: the draft resolution received 15 votes in favor. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2473," Al-Otaibi said during the open consultations on the situation in Libya.
The draft resolution, submitted by the United Kingdom, renews resolution 2420 until June 2020 that implements the arms embargo on Libya and empowers UN member states to examine vessels in international waters off the country when there is a reasonable suspicion that these vessels violated the arms ban, the text of the document said.
Additionally, the resolution requests the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to submit a report of the situation in Libya within 11 months of its adoption.
In 2015, the Security Council, for the first time, adopted resolution 2240 that authorized member states to confiscate vessels that were used for migrant smuggling of human trafficking from Libya.
In April, Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to retake Tripoli from the control of the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). The LNA has already recaptured a number of settlements near the capital and the Tripoli International Airport, located around 20 miles away from the city. The forces loyal to the GNA announced a counteroffensive, dubbed Volcano of Rage.
Since the overthrow and killing of Libya's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been gripped by conflict. Libya is now divided between two governments, with the eastern part controlled by the LNA, and the western part governed by the UN-backed GNA.
