The UN envoy to Libya has said that a National Conference will be held in the country in the first weeks of 2019, which should be followed within months by elections.

Polls had been scheduled for December 2018 following France-backed talks.

The envoy, Ghassan Salame, told the UN Security Council that the Conference would give Libyans a forum to discuss their future. He said the internationally recognised House of Representatives had deliberately failed to approve legislation to hold elections.

The decision to hold the conference follows meetings held across Libya by a UN-mandated, non-governmental group in which more than 7,000 people took part. This highlighted the discontent with the corruption, economic chaos and lack of a single unifying government in the country.

Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 two rival governments and various militias have been fighting for control of Libya.