The Sustainable Development and Peace Building Forum in Libya kicked off its activities on Thursday.
The event, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning of the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the United Nations, saw the participation of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba and UN Special Envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily.
Addressing the attendees, Dbaiba underscored the government’s commitment to promoting construction, development, stability, and war prevention.
He expressed admiration for the cooperation among government bodies, the United Nations, and related organizations in overseeing developmental programs and projects through the Ministries of Planning and Local Governance.
In his remarks, Bathily underlined the necessity to “bolster cooperation and coordination between the UN and government institutions to implement programs and projects, which contribute to sustainable development in Libya.”
Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Libya, presented her report detailing the operations of international organizations within Libya, and delineating their priorities.
Acting Minister of Planning, Mohamed Al-Zaidani, conducted a presentation highlighting the executive measures for the UN’s strategic framework, and the challenges impeding its implementation. He emphasized the fruitful cooperation between international organizations, and Libyan government bodies in furthering developmental programs.
The Our Government Facebook platform stated that the ambassadors participating in the forum “applauded the state of stability and development that the country is witnessing, and the enthusiasm of international partners to contribute to this, which assists in accelerating sustainable development programs.”
In addition to the ambassadors, participants included the ministers of state for cabinet affairs, local governance, economy, finance, labour, and rehabilitation, and a number of representatives of international organizations working in Libya. As well as the heads of several relevant governmental bodies and institutions.
Libya has been suffering from political instability and conflicts for over a decade, after the fall of its former leader, Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country has been embroiled in a civil war, with different factions and external powers vying for control. As a result, the economy has been severely affected, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
The UN has been actively involved in efforts to bring about peace and stability in the country. These include peace talks, ceasefires, and other initiatives aimed at bringing the warring factions to the negotiating table.