UNITED NATIONS, May 21 -- UN envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame said Monday that some points of consensus have emerged from the country's recently launched National Conference, where a desire for a "united and sovereign nation" is expressed.

Salame, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Libya, on Monday briefed the Security Council on Libya's National Conference held in April as a way of giving all Libyans a say in responding to the country's ongoing crisis.

The conference has so far been convened in 27 locations and has drawn thousands of participants. It is part of the UN Action Plan proposed by Salame last September to amend the Libyan Political Agreement, a stalled deal reached in 2015 with an aim to establish a single national unity government.

"Libyans from all political stripes and segments of society gathered to enter the political conversation, many for the first time with an enthusiasm that could not have been predicted," Salame said via teleconference. "They have made it their own."

Salame said some points of consensus have emerged, which shows why advancing the political process is "so vital."

They include "a yearning for a united and sovereign nation and a common belief," he said, adding that "to achieve that, the state must be more decentralized."

Moreover, a fairer, more transparent and effective distribution of public resources, unified state institutions, as well as unified and professional military and coherent security apparatus are among the points of consensus, he said.

Libya has been split east and west by two fighting factions following the 2011 ouster of long-time leader Muammer Gadhafi. Since 2014, the country has rival governments and parliaments based in its western and eastern regions.

In addition, the National Conference has revealed that Libyans want a vote which can unite their country, as well as the means to go through the transition, Salame said.

"While elections must be held as soon as possible, the proper conditions must be in place," Salame said, underscoring the need for a new round of voter registration, prior commitment to accepting the results, as well as sufficient funding and security arrangements.

The National Conference is expected to run through June and take place in over 40 locations overall, including Libyan communities overseas.

Special events focusing on the concerns of women, youth and internally displaced persons will also be held.

Salame also briefed the Security Council on a new UN strategy to help Libya deal with armed groups which continue to have what he has described as "perilous" influence on politics and the economy. It involves direct engagement of these groups, in close consultation with the government.

While the strategy "will not unravel armed groups tomorrow," he said, it "will help the long process begin in earnest."