TRIPOLI – For their third session: members of the Structured Dialogue’s Governance Track met for four days during April 13-16 to develop recommendations on unifying and strengthening the governance framework in Libya and identifying a path to inclusive elections. Members discussed ways to strengthen the constitutional and executive governance to overcome the current political bottleneck as well as local governance.
Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, Political, Stephanie Koury, and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General and Resident Coordinator, Ulrika Richardson attended a number of the sessions across the week. To build on existing Libyan efforts, the Governance track heard from the Advisory Committee members on their recommendation related to electoral government as well as Peace Makers on their cumulative work on local governance. An external constitutional expert was also invited to present an overview of Libya’s constitutional discussions, including contentious issues and shared comparative examples from other country contexts.
“The Governance Track is tackling some of the most difficult issues facing Libya,” said DSRSG Koury. “The strength of the dialogue is in listening to different perspectives and appreciating the complexity of the situation in Libya. In this way, hopefully the Structured Dialogue participants can find common ground and consensus based implementable recommendations which help the country to move forward.”
UNSMIL also shared with track members the results of the “Have Your Say” survey, which gathered responses from approximately 6,000 participants, with a particular focus on the governance track and findings derived from various polls and public engagement efforts. These outreach initiatives aim to ground the dialogue in lived realities. By drawing on data from thousands of Libyans, as well as consultations with civil society, the Mission seeks to ensure that the proposals presented to Structured Dialogue members across the four tracks reflect the needs and priorities of the population, rather than being driven solely by political considerations.
The survey findings highlight a general desire to participate in elections, with nine in 10 respondents considering the holding of elections a national necessity. More than 60% support engaging security and armed actors in elections, but only under clear safeguards—no interference, respect for results, and full protection of the process, voters and candidates. The majority of those surveyed in the south, some 91 per cent, believe that political division negatively impacts their daily lives.
Two youth communication team volunteers from Sebha and Sabratha also joined the meetings as observers on the afternoon of the third day. They met with UNSMIL leadership and members of the Structured Dialogue to interview them on the path towards unification of institutions and youth participation. They will be producing content for the Digital Youth Platform.
Members will continue working on their recommendations for the Track’s final outcome report in June. The work of the Governance Track aligns with UNSMIL’s mandate to use its good offices to facilitate an inclusive, Libyan-owned and Libyan-led political process, without determining outcomes, and to advance consensus on governance arrangements toward elections and long-term stability. They will work on producing precise, implementable recommendations ahead of their final in-person meeting next month.
The Structured Dialogue is not a decision-making body for the selection of a government but rather explores concrete recommendations to create a conducive environment for elections and address more immediate governance, economic, security and national reconciliation and human rights challenges to strengthen state institutions and needed reforms. By examining and developing policy and legislative proposals to address long-term conflict drivers, the work of the Structured Dialogue aims to build consensus on a national vision that will shape the path to peace and stability.
