A top UN official has raised hopes Libya could be inching its way towards peace after 10 years of civil war and humanitarian crisis.
An advisory committee for representatives of Libya's different regions has proposed a way forward for choosing a transitional government that would lead the war-torn country to elections late this year.
The UN's acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams told a news conference in Geneva, where talks are taking place, the advisory committee's members "have met their responsibility with a constructive spirit, co-operative efforts, and a great deal of patriotism".
The committee is part of the 75-member Libyan Political Dialogue Forum that represents the three main regions of Libya.
The 18-member committee has proposed that each region's electoral college name a representative to a three-member presidential council, Williams said.
A prime minister would be chosen by the forum, with the successful nominee requiring 70 per cent of votes.
Williams said the forum would vote on the proposed mechanism on Monday, with results expected the following day.
The transitional government would be "a temporary unified executive staffed by Libyan patriots who want to share responsibility rather than to divide the cake", the UN acting envoy said.
The US welcomed the breakthrough and urged all parties "to work with urgency and in good faith" to establish an interim government, according to a statement by the US Embassy in Libya.
"It is time to move past the conflict and corruption facilitated by the status quo," it said.
The forum is part of UN efforts to end the chaos that engulfed the oil-rich North African nation after the 2011 overthrow and killing of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
It reached an agreement last year to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24, 2021.
The oil-rich country is split east to west between rival administrations, each backed by an array of militias and foreign powers.
The warring sides agreed to a UN-brokered ceasefire in October, a deal that included the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within three months.
Australian Associated Press
