United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) launches country-wide youth consultations on the political process and starts by meeting youth in four cities

Youth represent 38 per cent of the population (NESDB statistics) in Libya and their voices must be included in the political process. To support this, in addition to its regular meetings with youth (aged 18-35), the United Nations Support Mission in Libya is launching a wider programme with the aim to engage 500 young men and women across Libya in the coming months. 

As part of its broader efforts to engage the community on the Advisory Committee’s recommendations on how to take Libya to elections and unify institutions, UNSMIL is conducting dedicated meetings with youth representatives, both online and in-person. More information about how young men and women can get involved can be found here.

In addition, UNSMIL has also launched an online poll to ensure that a wider audience can be reached. 

“As we develop the next steps of the political process, we want to hear everyone’s views,” said Special Representative of the Secretary General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh. “Youth are a driving force that can help shape the future of this country. They have specific needs and concerns, and they bring different perspectives that can inform decision-making. We want to hear directly from them because a process that is meant for the Libyan people needs the meaningful participation of all Libyan people.” 

UNSMIL has already met with youth in Zintan, Misrata, Benghazi and Nalut to discuss the Advisory Committee recommendations. Participants called for better access to economic and employment opportunities, unified government institutions, more representation and inclusion in decision-making processes, access to services, fair and equitable resource distribution. They also shared their ideas around decentralisation and political inclusion. 

Through these consultations and online polling, the Mission will capture youth recommendations and ideas and ensure they are fed into the decision-making process on next steps. 

UNSMIL published the Executive Summary of the Advisory Committee’s Report in May, including its four proposed options to move the political process forward. The public consultation and survey ask people to put forward their recommendations and ideas and decided which of these options they would prefer: 

1. Conducting presidential and legislative elections simultaneously; 

2. Conducting parliamentary elections first, followed by the adoption of a permanent constitution; 

3. Adopting a permanent constitution before elections; or 

4. Establishing a political dialogue committee, based on the Libyan Political Agreement to finalize electoral laws, executive authority and permanent constitution.  

More information on the youth consultations and how to get involved can be found here.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).