Tunis – Twenty-seven Libyan representatives from key state institutions, legal bodies and civil society convened in Tunis on 27 March for the fifth meeting of the Expert Committee on the Legal Framework for Missing Persons, jointly supported by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Participants included members of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, as well as representatives of the Government of National Unity, including the Ministries of Justice, Interior and Foreign Affairs, the Supreme Judicial Council, the General Authority for the Search and Identification of Missing Persons, the National Council for Human Rights and Civil Liberties, legal experts and civil society organizations.
The meeting marks a key milestone in the process of developing a comprehensive legal framework addressing missing persons in Libya, building on extensive consultations and a detailed assessment of the country’s fragmented legal and institutional landscape, as highlighted in a mapping report published through the program.
Over three days, participants engaged in structured discussions to review and refine the draft law, and produced “a near final version,” said Miloud Al Awsad, a member of the House of Representatives who participated in the meeting, adding that the law would be important to “protecting the rights of families, and determining the responsibilities of all parties involved in the search and identification process.”
Through inclusive dialogue, the participants reached consensus on key amendments aimed at strengthening the independence of the National Authority for the Search and Identification of Missing Persons and Victims of Enforced Disappearance, clarifying criteria for the composition of its future board, aligning Libyan legal framework with international standards, reinforcing links with judicial and accountability mechanisms, expanding the rights of victims and their families, and ensuring stronger safeguards for data protection and coordination among forensics institutions through the creation of a National Registry.
“This law will prevent overlapping jurisdictions and address existing legal gaps that have prevented Libya from truly addressing this file for too many years,” said Nooh Al Rahel, a family member of a missing person.
Moving forward, it will be key to “adopt strong executive regulations for the law,” said Omima Al Bawi, a legal advisor who participated in the meeting, to “ensure the process is protected from politicization and interference, and that it remains centered on the rights of victims.”
In his closing remarks, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Mohamed Saleh stressed that the revised draft law emerging from the meeting is more coherent, comprehensive, and grounded in a victim-centred approach to the search for the missing and disappeared, providing a stronger foundation to clarify institutional mandates, improve coordination across forensic, judicial and administrative actors, and enhance Libya’s capacity to search for and identify missing persons as part of broader transitional justice and reconciliation efforts.
The adoption of this law by the Parliament would represent a critical step toward restoring trust, dignity, and hope for countless families across Libya, Saleh said.
UNSMIL and UNDP reaffirm their continued support to Libyan institutions in advancing this process, he said, including through sustained engagement with the legislative authority and, later on, support to the implementation of the law.
