UN chief ‘deeply’ regrets veto of Palestinian ex-PM as Libya envoy

DUBAI // UN chief Antonio Guterres yesterday said he deeply regretted opposition to former Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad as the organisation’s peace envoy to Libya, days after Washington vetoed the appointment.

“I do not see any reason for it,” Mr Guterres said at the annual World Government Summit hosted by Dubai.

He described Mr Fayyad, a former World Bank official with a track record of fighting corruption, as “the right person for the right job at the right moment”.

“It’s a loss for the Libyan peace process and the Libyan people,” he said, adding that the United Nations “needs to be able to act with impartiality”.

The UN leader last week had informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Mr Fayyad as a replacement for German Martin Kobler to Libya.

But US ambassador Nikki Haley vetoed the appointment, saying Washington did not support the message it would send.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the US veto of Mr Fayyad.

Israeli media has meanwhile reported that the Jewish state could accept Mr Fayyad’s appointment if Tzipi Livni, a former Israeli foreign minister, were offered the position of UN under secretary general.

The head of the UN requires the unanimous support of all 15 Security Council members for appointments of special representatives to conflict areas. Libya has been in turmoil since a 2011 revolution that overthrew and killed Muammar Qaddafi.

Mr Guterres also spoke about the UN-sponsored peace talks on Syria, scheduled for February 23 in Geneva.

“There is no solution for the Syrian people without a comprehensive solution in which all Syrians feel they are properly represented.”