United Nations, Jan 3 (IANS): The UN Support Mission in Libya has announced the establishment of the Advisory Committee of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).

"The committee's mandate will be strictly time-bound and its main mission shall be to discuss outstanding issues related to the selection of a unified executive and to put forward concrete and practical recommendations upon which the plenary shall decide," Xinhua news agency quoted the mission as saying in a statement on Saturday.

"In line with the LPDF's core principle of inclusivity, the mission has expanded the membership of the Advisory Committee to 18 members to ensure broad geographical and political diversity as well as the participation of women, youth, and cultural components," the statement added.

The eastern-based army and the UN-backed government had been engaged in a deadly armed conflict for over a year in and around capital Tripoli, which ended in June 2020 when the latter announced its takeover of all western Libya after withdrawal of the eastern-based army.

On October 23, Libyan delegations to the 5+5 Joint Military Commission talks in Geneva signed a UN-sponsored permanent ceasefire agreement.

During the LPDF held on November 7-15 in Tunisia's capital Tunis, 75 Libyans representing the social and political spectrum of the society participated to discuss a political roadmap to achieve lasting peace in the war-torn country.

The participants agreed to hold general elections in Libya on December 24, 2021.

They also voted on a mechanism to select the unified executive authority of the country.