Libya
Multilateral Relations
The United Nations
Libya actively used regional and international organizations
in pursuit of its foreign policies. Indeed, independent Libya
was established in large part by UN actions. A member of the UN
and most of its specialized agencies, Libya frequently brought
such matters as colonialism and racism in Africa, Western imperialism,
and North-South economic relations before the General Assembly.
Libya also used the UN as a forum in which to attack Zionism and
the state of Israel. Libyan pressure was a primary factor in the
acceptance of the PLO's representation of the Palestinian Arabs
at the UN. Libya took an active part in UN affairs. For example,
in November 1975, Qadhafi called for the abolition of the veto
right held by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
The following year, the Libyan press singled out United States'
use of the veto for special criticism. Also in November 1975,
the Libyan agriculture minister demanded the expulsion of the
United States and Israel from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
In March 1978, Libya took strong exception to the posting of UN
peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon after the Israeli invasion
of that area. The Libyan position, according to a GPC communique,
was that "any acceptance of UN forces in the land adjacent to
our occupied Palestinian land...[would mean] acceptance of the
Zionist presence and the bestowing of legitimacy on it."
Data as of 1987
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