Insights on the Libya Sanctions Committee
The Libya Sanctions Committee is considering proposals on additional designations by members of the Committee. 45 additional individuals and a number of entities have been proposed for listing. It appears that all the new proposed designations have come from the US, UK, France and Germany. (Currently, there are 18 individuals designated as subject to the travel ban, and 13 individuals and 5 entities designated as subject to the assets freeze.)
Late last week the proposed new list was put under silence procedure. However, one country had a specific objection regarding an assets freeze and three others asked for more time for the listings to be studied in their capitals. The silence proposal is therefore now on hold with no clear time frame for when the additional individuals and entities might be approved.
There seems to be some progress with selecting a panel of experts for the Libya Sanctions Committee. The Secretariat has identified possible experts who could fill the 8 slots and it is possible that the panel could be constituted sometime in April.
There has been a sense of urgency among members of the Committee for the quick formation of the panel of experts because one of the Committee’s main tasks at the moment involves responding to various technical questions from member states as to how to interpret resolutions 1970 and 1973.
Looking ahead, the Committee is expected to focus on adopting a programme of work for the panel of experts and improve on its own provisional guidelines. As it gets into the substance of its work one of the most labour-intensive aspects is expected to be the exemptions process particularly in relation to the assets freeze.
