The U.N. and the new Libyan authorities Tuesday signed an agreement establishing the legal framework under which the UN mission set up last year to support the country's post-conflict reconstruction efforts will operate. The status of mission agreement between the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the Libya's interim government lays out the rights, responsibilities and procedures for both signatories, with respect to the deployment, presence and safety of UNSMIL operations and personnel in fulfilling the mission's Security Council-authorized mandate. Ian Martin, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNSMIL, signed the agreement in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on behalf of the U.N. The country's Minister for Foreign and International Cooperation, Ashur Bin Khayyal, signed on behalf of the government.
