The Chargé d’Affairs of the Japanese Embassy in Libya, Masaki Amadera expressed his support for the efforts of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), to enable elections this year.
The UN Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily said he met with Amadera and discussed with him the latest political developments. The Japanese diplomat also expressed Tokyo’s support for the United Nations’ humanitarian work in Libya.
Notably, Bathily briefed the Security Council on the developments in Libya. He expressed his views on the work of the 6+6 Joint Committee. Comprised of members from the Libyan Parliament and the High Council of State (HCS), the Committee’s efforts were commended by Bathily. However, he noted that “this step is not enough to resolve all the outstanding issues in the way of the elections.”
Bathily further elaborated during the briefing: “We have followed the reactions to the outcomes of the 6+6 Committee, and this has highlighted that there are still several contentious issues.”
“The High National Elections Commission (HNEC) has contacted the concerned parties expressing its concerns about the loopholes and shortcomings in the proposed election laws by the Committee.”
In January, the Japanese government announced a new contribution of $750,000 to UNICEF Libya. This is designated towards improving access to and the use of equitable and climate-resilient Emergency Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services. This will allow UNICEF to reach 125,000 people across the country, including 50,000 children.
The program, which is intended to run for 12 months, will strengthen the capacity of WASH systems to legislate, finance, plan, and coordinate climate-resilient critical initiatives for equitable, safe, and sustainable WASH services.
UNICEF will implement the program, in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Local Governance.
Japan is a long and valued partner of UNICEF in Libya, and UNICEF programs have received over $5 million dollars since 2020, benefiting multi-sectoral emergency response to conflict and to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UNICEF Representative for Libya, Michele Servadei stated “UNICEF thanks the people and Government of Japan for the continuous support. Addressing water scarcity and improving water provision services remain a top priority for UNICEF in Libya. It is essential to repair non-functional systems in the most vulnerable areas, as well as build capacity for a climate-resilient water supply, which means attention to renewable energy and locally managed solutions.”
