The United Nations adopted a proposal from the Human Rights Council (HRC) to postpone the investigations into human rights violations in Libya, due to a lack of funds.
The HRC established a fact-finding mission in June. This was to identify violations and abuses of human rights “since the beginning of 2016, with a view to prevent further deterioration of the human rights situation, and to ensure accountability.”
Only a day before the postponement, Mohamed Aujjar, the chairman of the mission updated the UN on its progress. He thanked the Libyan civil society for pushing the country toward accountability. He also stressed the importance of adequate program budgeting, to allow for tangible changes with the extension of the mandate.
The mandate has been extended to September 2021, due to “the current liquidity crisis affecting the UN Secretariat, and the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.” This is one of several mandates that was extended. These include workshops on the consequences of child marriage, and the protection of cultural heritage, as well as seminars on youth and human rights, access to medicines, and development.