The UN Security Council decided to renew for one year, its authorization allowing Member States to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya, as long as there are reasonable grounds for suspicion that they are being used for smuggling migrants or human trafficking.
The 15-member Council condemned all acts of migrant smuggling and human trafficking into, through and from the territory, and off the coast, of Libya.
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Thus, the Council decided to renew, for 12 months, a set of authorizations allowing Member States to inspect any vessel off the Libyan coast that they suspect of being used to conduct such crimes, provided they make good-faith efforts to obtain the consent of the vessel’s flag State before performing that authority.
The authorization is granted ‘with a view to saving the threatened lives of migrants or of victims of human trafficking on board such vessels’ against ‘exceptional and specific circumstances‘.
The authorizations apply only with respect to migrant smuggling and human trafficking on the high seas off Libya’s coast, and will not affect the rights, obligations or responsibilities of Member States under international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It also said that the authorizations do not apply to vessels entitled to sovereign immunity under international law.
