The UN Security Council has renewed the mandate of its Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, for another year through Octobe...

The UN Security Council has renewed the mandate of its Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, for another year through October 31, 2027, but Greece chose to abstain rather than back the resolution, joining Russia in sitting out the vote. The mission's core responsibilities, established under Resolution 2542 of 2020, include facilitating a Libyan-led political process, supporting the ceasefire, promoting rule of law, and protecting human rights. The vote came after grueling negotiations, with the UK drafting four separate revisions of the resolution and the silence procedure broken three times before a final text was agreed. Greece's central concern was the language around Libyan actors' obligations under international law, specifically the law of the sea. The issue became urgent after eastern Libya's House of Representatives ratified the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum on October 20, a deal Athens has long argued is illegal. At Greece's request, backed by the other European members of the Security Council, the preamble was initially amended to include a call on all Libyan actors to respect international law, including the law of the sea. But the three African members, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, and Somalia, along with China, pushed back, saying the wording exceeded UNSMIL's mandate and the scope of a routine technical renewal. The reference was gradually watered down through each revision. Greece broke the silence procedure at the fourth round, and ultimately abstained when the final language fell short of what Athens sought. Just days earlier, on October 26, Greece joined Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union in a joint statement reaffirming that the Turkey-Libya memorandum violates international law, infringes on the maritime rights of coastal states with islands, and remains null and void with no legal effect on third parties. #Greece #Libya #EasternMediterranean