On Friday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution renewing the authorization to inspect ships off Libya, with the aim of implementing the arms embargo for a full year.
The resolution, which bore the number 2733, received the support of 9 members, while the remaining 6 abstained from voting: Russia, Algeria, Sierra Leone, China, Guyana, and Mozambique.
The mandate in place allows UN member states, acting at the national level or through regional organizations, to inspect ships on the high seas heading to or coming from Libya if they have reasonable grounds to believe they are violating the arms embargo.
Member States and relevant regional organizations are required to first seek in good faith the approval of the State whose flag the ship flies before carrying out any inspections.
Inspections are currently being carried out by the European Union’s Operation Irini.
It is noteworthy that the European Union launched Operation “IRINI” on March 31, 2020, to impose an embargo on the supply of weapons to Libya, and its scope is located in the Mediterranean Sea. The operation sparked controversy and criticism, as it was considered “biased and illegal” by some parties.
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