Ten Challenges for the un in 2021-2022

Ten Challenges for the UN in 2021-2022 
Crisis Group Special Briefing N°6, 13 September 2021 
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proposals for the sequenced withdrawal of foreign fighters, but this initiative has made 
no progress to date.
On the financial front, the complete and proper unification of the Central Bank of 
Libya – crucial to the unified state’s functioning – has yet to take place. The bank was 
divided into two parallel branches as a result of the conflict. A UN Security Council-
mandated financial review of the Bank, which had been two years in the making, was 
completed in June, but as yet no one has acted upon its recommendations for reform. 
The Security Council needs to throw its weight behind further UN mediation to 
resolve these issues, especially the immediate problems of the electoral roadmap and 
control of the armed forces. Council members have a history of bad blood over Libya, 
but they share an interest in avoiding a return to hostilities. For this purpose, they 
should urge an intensification of UN mediation efforts and make available greater 
resources to ensure adequate staffing and expertise at the UN Support Mission in 
Libya.
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To help end the impasse over the political and military issues, Council members 
should now encourage Special Envoy Ján Kubiš to lay out UN-drafted bridging pro-
posals and rally domestic and foreign support for solutions. On the political front, 
parliamentary and presidential elections should remain at centre stage in the pro-
posal, but the latter should also include additional provisions clearly defining the re-
spective powers of the future elected officials to reduce the risk of abuse of power and 
adequate legal safeguards. On the military front, the UN should lay out an updated 
implementation plan for security sector unification and the sequenced departure of 
foreign fighters.