Representatives of Libya's rival political factions on Sunday signed a UN-backed agreement aimed at resolving long-standing disputes that have blocked national elections in the divided north African country.
The agreement, reached after months of talks in Rome and Tunis, was signed at the headquarters of the UN Support Mission in Libya (Unsmil) in Tripoli in the presence of mission chief Hanna Tetteh.
Unsmil said the agreement addresses the first two stages of its political road map: reconstituting the High National Electoral Commission and resolving outstanding disputes over the constitutional and legal framework governing presidential and parliamentary elections.
Under the deal, the electoral laws would be amended to allow presidential and parliamentary elections to be held under a single executive authority, with the parties committing to hold the elections within 24 months.
The agreement also calls for endorsement by the House of Representatives and the High State Council within one month and establishes a follow-up mechanism to support implementation.
“Today's signing represents an important step towards overcoming the political and institutional impasse that has hindered the electoral process in Libya,” Ms Tetteh said.
She warned, however, that the agreement would need to be translated into “tangible actions, through its adoption at the national level, the application of the agreed electoral framework, and the continuation of efforts to create the necessary institutional and political conditions for holding fair elections.”
Unsmil said the signing marked a step towards the next phase of the political process, rather than its conclusion, and called on Libya's political institutions and actors to honour their commitments and work towards fair and inclusive elections.
Libya has been mired in political instability since a Nato-backed uprising toppled longtime ruler Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, leaving the oil-producing country divided among rival political and military factions.
Two competing administrations continue to claim authority: the internationally recognised government based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Libya had been due to hold a presidential election in December 2021 as part of a UN-backed process intended to unify the country, but the vote was postponed indefinitely after disputes over the rules governing the election.
The UN proposed a political road map in August 2025 aimed at establishing what it called a “politically viable electoral framework”, holding general elections and creating a unified government and national institutions.
Sunday's agreement is separate from a diplomatic initiative led by Massad Boulos, US President Donald Trump's senior adviser on Arab and African affairs, which has sought to encourage a rapprochement between authorities in eastern and western Libya.
Previous UN-backed attempts to establish a lasting political settlement have repeatedly failed amid disputes over the electoral framework, control of state institutions and the distribution of Libya's substantial oil revenue.
