UN votes to end NATO Libyan mission

The United Nations Security Council voted Thursday to end the authority of NATO's mission in Libya.

The council voted 15-0 to terminate the provisions of Resolution 1973, which allowed the use of force to protect civilians and ensure the no-fly zone.

The move effectively ends the council's authorization for the NATO military operation in Libya just before midnight on Oct. 31. Libya will regain control of its airspace and all military operations on Nov. 1.

"This marks a really important milestone in the transition in Libya," Mark Lyall Grant, Britain's ambassador to the UN, said. "It marks the way from the military phase towards the formation of an inclusive government, the full participation of all sectors of society, and for the Libyan people to choose their own future."

The council's decision came despite a request from Libya's deputy UN Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi to postpone any move until a formal request had been made by the country's transitional government, which he hoped would be made by the end of the month.

The UN authorized the no-fly zone on March 17, at the request of the Arab League.

The governing body of NATO is due to meet Friday to discuss the mission in Libya.

In Berlin, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance would on Friday confirm its earlier, preliminary decision to end operations Oct. 31.

Fogh Rasmussen said after meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Thursday's U.N. resolution "reflects that we have fully accomplished our mandate to protect the civilian population of Libya, so now we have firm ground for terminating our operations as we decided to do a week ago."

Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance was ready to assist the new Libyan government in the transformation to democracy, particularly in the areas of defence and security sector reforms.

"I wouldn't expect new tasks beyond that," he said.