•  united nations
• Monday, March 14, 2011
• Inter Press Service

Abdul Ilah al-Khatib, appointed Monday as the Secretary General’s special envoy to Libya, will focus on humanitarian concerns and ending the violence against and suffering of civilians in Libya when he travels there this week.

Khatib stated he hoped to 'succeed in stopping the killings and ending the suffering of the civilian population in addressing their humanitarian needs.' Although Ban also emphasized the humanitarian component of Khatib’s visit, he acknowledged, 'I expect that he will be engaged in a broader dimension of this crisis, including political issues' as well.

Khatib’s agenda includes meetings with Libyan officials and the African and Arab Group. When asked during a press stakeout on Friday whether he would be meeting with the opposition government in Libya, Khatib responded, 'I am prepared to meet all parties concerned. I think that is essential in order to know the positions and the views of all parties.' Ban said that he had spoken by telephone to Foreign Minister Kousa of Libya on Wednesday about Khatib’s appointment, and that 'the Libyan government welcomed his visit.' Joining Khatib will be senior humanitarian officials and staff from the Department of Political affairs and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ban added.

'Their objective will be to assess the situation on the ground and undertake broad consultations with Libyan authorities on the immediate humanitarian, political and security situation,' he told reporters. He expressed uncertainty about the duration of Khatib’s visit, saying, 'We will have to see. But I expect he will be there for several days.'

Other highly debated political and military issues were not directly addressed at the stakeout. Ban admitted he had not contacted the provisional council in Benghazi, Libya, and declared that recognition of this council’s legitimacy as a representative for the Libyan people was 'a matter to be determined by the member states of the United Nations.' He added that it was up to these member states as well to determine subsequent steps in the dealing with events in Libya, including whether or not to send weapons to rebel forces. Similarly, Khatib said in Arabic that before he could take up the matter of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya, he would have to be briefed on all the details of the situation there.

Khatib’s appointment and upcoming trip to Libya follow eventful weeks at the UN with regard to Libya. Last week the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi requested to appoint a new Libyan ambassador, Ali Abdussalam Treki, to the UN after members of the Libyan mission called for Gadhafi’s resignation in February. Treki has yet to present his credentials personally to the Secretary General, as per protocol for becoming a Permanent Representative to the UN.

© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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