As the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum continues, UN Women Libya congratulates women participants and alerts to incidents of threats against women participants
Date:
Following UN Security Council Resolution 2510 (2020) which endorsed the conclusions of the Berlin Conference on Libya, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) convened in Tunis from 9 to 15 November 2020 and continued online since 23 November in pursuit of a political solution to the crisis in Libya. The Forum’s first round of discussions concluded in an agreement on a roadmap[1] for the preparatory period towards national elections. Now, consensus is sought regarding the selection criteria[2] for the reformed Presidency Council and the Prime Minister[3]. UN Women Libya expresses great appreciation of the women and men of the Libya Political Dialogue Forum for their national spirit and demonstrated desire to forge an inclusive solution to the longstanding crisis in Libya by adopting a political roadmap to presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on 24 December 2021, marking the 70th anniversary of Libya’s independence.
In particular, UN Women congratulates the women participants at the LPDF who came together to issue a statement[4] outlining a series of principles and recommendations for improving women's participation in the political process. They state the need for the increased representation of women in political processes, and for the State to fulfil its international commitments regarding the rights and protection of women. They demand that women should account for no less than 30% of leadership positions in the reformed executive authority. This request was reiterated in the roadmap[5], attesting to the positive role women played in the dialogue.
Libyan women and men participating in political fora deserve a renewed commitment to human rights, enshrined in a comprehensive charter and human rights-based social contract. Political, economic, and social rights must be guaranteed for women and men and must not longer be politicized. Political influence and corruption are root causes and drivers of conflict. Consequently, any political solution, at its core, must tackle corruption.[6]
UN Women Libya urgently alerts and raises attention to the threats and personal risks faced by Libyan women speaking out. It reiterates the need for the immediate protection of the women participating in the LPDF and in other political fora. A safe, inclusive, and enabling environment should be established to ensure the meaningful participation of women, youth, and civil society stakeholders, ensuring a peacebuilding process free from violence.
UN Women Libya emphatically calls for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls and the empowerment of women, including young women, migrant and displaced women, indigenous women, rural women, and women with disabilities across Libya, to achieve equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security.
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[1] https://unsmil.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/lpdf_-_roadmap_final_eng.pdf
[2] https://unsmil.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/lpdf-_prerogatives_final_eng.pdf
[3] https://unsmil.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/lpdf_-_eligibility_final_eng.pdf
[4] https://unsmil.unmissions.org/statement-libyan-women-participating-libyan-political-dialogue-forum
[5] https://unsmil.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/lpdf_-_roadmap_final_eng.pdf
[6] https://unsmil.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/civil_society_principles_doc_for_lpdf_eng_-_7_nov_2020.pdf