Williams Praises ‘Valuable’ Discussion on Disarmament in Libya

UN Special Adviser on Libya Stephanie Williams (UNSMIL)
UN Special Adviser on Libya Stephanie Williams (UNSMIL)
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Williams Praises ‘Valuable’ Discussion on Disarmament in Libya

UN Special Adviser on Libya Stephanie Williams (UNSMIL)
UN Special Adviser on Libya Stephanie Williams (UNSMIL)

The meetings of Libya’s Joint Military Commission (5+5) has continued for the second day in a row in Tunis, co-chaired by UN Special Adviser on Libya Stephanie Williams in collaboration with France.

Representatives from the UK, Turkey, Italy, the African Union, and figures from the Security Working Group (SWG) for Libya participated in the meetings.

Williams “stressed the importance of ensuring that stability is maintained, and that calm is preserved on the ground” and she “congratulate the JMC 5+5 on the work it has done thus far.”

“We were joined by the entirety of the JMC 5+5, as well as other co-chairs, the UK, Turkey, Italy, and the AU, for a valuable discussion on ceasefire monitoring, disarmament and demobilization, and the way forward on the JMC 5+5’s work,” Williams tweeted.

“Also, in Tunis yesterday, I was pleased to later join the Libyan and international ceasefire monitors in their first in-person meeting, during which they demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment to operationalizing the next steps of the ceasefire agreement.”

Williams said she discussed the Libyan situation in a meeting in Tunis with senior officials of the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Egypt, and Turkey.

“I am grateful to all of them for their support for the holding of elections as soon as possible, on the basis of a solid, consensual constitutional framework, for the sake of fulfilling the aspirations of the Libyan people to vote for their representatives,” Williams explained.



Syrian Returns from Lebanon to Start under UN-backed Plan

FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
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Syrian Returns from Lebanon to Start under UN-backed Plan

FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo

Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, UN-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns.

Returning Syrians will be provided with $100 each in Lebanon and $400 per family upon arrival in Syria, Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said. Transport is also covered and fees have been waived by border authorities, she said.

"I think it's a good and important start. We have discussed and are coordinating this with our Syrian counterparts and I think the numbers will increase in the coming weeks," Sayed told Reuters. A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

More than 6 million Syrians fled as refugees after conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, with most heading to Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanon has the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world, hosting about 1.5 million Syrians among a population of about 4 million Lebanese.

Some 11,000 have registered to return from Lebanon in the first week, and the government targets between 200,000 and 400,000 returns this year under the plan, Sayed said.

The Lebanese government is focused on informal tented settlements in the country, where some 200,000 refugees live, she added, and may provide Syrian breadwinners who stay in Lebanon with work permits for sectors such as agriculture and construction if their families return to Syria.

UN agencies previously viewed Syria as unsafe for large-scale returns due to uncertainty over security and persecution by the government of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December.

That has changed.

Since taking over, the new Syrian government has said all Syrians are welcome home. A UN survey from earlier this year showed nearly 30% of refugees living in Middle Eastern countries wanted to go back, up from 2% when Assad was in power.

"While the situation in Syria continues to rapidly evolve, (UN refugee agency) UNHCR considers the current context a positive opportunity for larger numbers of Syrian refugees to return home, or to begin considering return in a realistic and durable way," Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, told Reuters.

As of the end of June 2025, UNHCR estimated that over 628,000 Syrians had crossed back to Syria via neighboring countries since 8 December 2024, including 191,000 via Lebanon.