This appointment comes after the sudden resignation of the UN envoy, Jan Kubis, from his position, last November.
This diplomat, who is fluent in Arabic, temporarily occupied the position of United Nations envoy to Libya in Geneva in the year 2020, after she was the second official in the United Nations mission to Libya between 2018 and 2020.
Over the past year, Williams has helped advance the peace process in Libya several times, in an effort to pull the country out of crisis.
This appointment, which falls within the powers of Antonio Guterres, and does not require official approval from the 15 members of the Security Council, unlike the post of envoy, spares the United Nations an embarrassing vacuum with the approach of the presidential elections on December 24.
Work from Tripoli
“The appointment of Williams as Special Adviser ensures that (UN) leadership will be in place during the very delicate month of December,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
“It will be based in Tripoli, and it will start its work in the coming days,” he added, hinting that the Secretary-General of the United Nations rejected Jan Kubis’ proposal, whose contract expires on December 10, to remain in his position during the election period.
“She will lead the good offices and mediation efforts with the Libyan, regional and international parties in order to continue implementing the three components of the Libyan dialogue, political, security and economic and support the organization of presidential and parliamentary elections,” a UN statement said.
The sudden resignation of former Slovak minister, Jan Kubis, was brought to António Guterres on 17 November.
The United Nations had chosen him for this position in Libya since last January, after he was a UN envoy in Lebanon.
The resignation was kept secret until the Secretary-General accepted it on November 23, without the United Nations providing a justification for it.
According to diplomats, since the summer, Jan Kubis has refused to transfer his position from Geneva to Tripoli, as planned for 2022.
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