The Berlin Process on Libya is a multilateral diplomatic initiative launched by Germany, in coordination with the United Nations, to consolidate international support behind a single political track for ending the Libyan civil war that followed the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi. It was designed to stop external interference, unify rival peace efforts, and back the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
The first Berlin Conference on Libya was hosted by Chancellor Angela Merkel on 19 January 2020. It brought together leaders and representatives from states and organisations with influence over the conflict, including Russia, Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, the African Union, the Arab League, and the European Union, alongside then-UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Participants endorsed a conference conclusions document committing to:
- Respect the UN arms embargo imposed by Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011)
- Refrain from interference in Libya's internal affairs
- Support a ceasefire between the Government of National Accord (GNA) under Fayez al-Sarraj and the Libyan National Army (LNA) under Khalifa Haftar
- Pursue a Libyan-led political, economic, and security track
The conclusions were subsequently endorsed by the UN Security Council in Resolution 2510 (2020). Follow-up working groups were established on security, economic, political, humanitarian, and international law issues.
A second Berlin Conference was convened on 23 June 2021, this time including a representative of Libya's interim Government of National Unity (GNU) led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, which had emerged from the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum. That conference focused on holding national elections (originally scheduled for 24 December 2021) and the withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries.
In practice, implementation has been uneven: the arms embargo has been repeatedly breached, foreign forces and mercenaries have remained on Libyan soil, and the planned elections were postponed indefinitely. The Berlin Process nonetheless remains a key reference framework for international diplomacy on Libya.
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At the first Berlin Conference on 19 January 2020, Chancellor Angela Merkel secured pledges from Russia, Turkey, the UAE, and Egypt to respect the UN arms embargo on Libya.