On Thursday, Germany’s representative at the Human Rights Council highlighted the serious challenges facing Libya, including the “political division, insecurity, the proliferation of weapons, and the increasing phenomenon of irregular migration and external intervention.”
These remarks came during an interactive dialogue between the Human Rights Council and the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya.
In her speech, the German diplomat said that the “human rights situation in Libya remained deeply concerning.” As well as adding that it was “unacceptable that reports of torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and sexual and gender-based violence remained largely unaddressed.”
During the meeting, several speakers called for the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission to be extended. They noted that the renewal of this important mandate strengthened cooperation between the international community, the Mission, and Libyan institutions.
It also provided the opportunity to strengthen capacity building, and technical assistance to advance the protection of human rights and accountability processes across the country. “The Mission should abide by its mandate and complete its work on schedule, whilst focusing on the needs of Libya,” a speaker stressed.
On his part, Yao Agbetse, an Independent Expert on the human rights situation in Libya said that in combatting impunity, it was important to support the activities of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Another aspect was the need to support the Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission, and for this, “it was vital that the Commission be supported by the international community, the United Nations country team, and all technical and financial partners.”
“There must be substantive reform of the national court system, so that it can address corruption. The upcoming local elections were vital for the country to hold these in a free and transparent manner, and measures should be adopted now to ensure the participation of women, young persons, displaced persons, and refugees,” he claimed.
“The report should have documented grave violations and crimes, and initiated accountability. Crimes against humanity, and other crimes against international law had been committed with impunity, and successive governments had unaccountably integrated perpetrators. This continued the lack of accountability for organized crime and terrorism, among other violations of human rights, and caused a shrinking of civil space,” Agbetse said.
“The Mission should continue its mandate, and be supported until its work is complete, and there is a significant improvement in the human rights situation on the ground,” he concluded.