TRIPOLI – Members of the Structured Dialogue’s National Reconciliation and Human Rights Track concluded their third round of in-person meetings in Tripoli on Thursday. The discussions focused on transitional justice, accountability for past violations, abuses, strengthening trust in state institutions and their role in advancing national reconciliation.
Members reviewed existing initiatives and legislation, examining how to strengthen them to support a rights-based transition that serves all Libyans. Discussions focused on how Libya can address and overcome a history of conflict, violence, repression, and human rights abuses.
Building on earlier sessions, where members highlighted the importance of protection of civic space, ending arbitrary detention practices, protecting journalists and human rights defenders, and preserving judicial independence. They developed practical recommendations to reinforce human rights safeguards and support a victim-centered national reconciliation process.
They called for a nationally agreed transitional justice law, with the goal of fostering reconciliation and preventing recurrence of violations, noting that the current 2025 draft law requires significant revision. This revision is needed to avoid past failures driven by division, politicization, and unequal treatment of victims by applying a nationally fair approach.
Key recommendations included ensuring the independence of a future Truth and Reconciliation Commission, adopting a transparent and realistic reparations framework, prioritizing the return of internally displaced persons, safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms, and strengthening inclusive representation—particularly for women, cultural and linguistic components, and persons with disabilities. They also emphasized the need for measures to bolster electoral integrity and accountability.
“A credible transition in Libya must be rooted in truth, justice, and dignity for victims and their families. National reconciliation cannot be sustained without a rights-based approach led and owned by Libyans,” said SRSG Hanna Tetteh. “The priority now is to translate these discussions into practical steps that foster respect for human rights and, along with outcomes of other Structured Dialogue tracks, contribute to paving the way for peaceful and successful national elections.”
On the final day, ambassadors and representatives of the Berlin Process International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Working Group joined the discussions alongside UN leadership. During the interactions with the diplomatic representatives, participants stressed the urgency of Libyan ownership of any process along with preserving the unity and independence of judiciary, addressing impunity, arbitrary detention, women rights, and restrictions on freedoms—key factors affecting public trust.
Members were also briefed on findings from the “Have Your Say” survey of nearly 6,000 respondents, reflecting public priorities within their scope of work. The results showed strong demand for removing abusive and divisive actors from positions of power (82%), ensuring accountability through fair trials (73%), and guaranteeing prompt judicial review for detainees (74%). Fear of arrest or retaliation remains a major barrier to political participation and freedom of expression cited by 67% of respondents.
The recommendations will feed into the Track’s outcome document ahead of its final meeting next month.
The work of the National Reconciliation and Human Rights 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 arrangements that support elections and long-term stability.
The Structured Dialogue is mandated to develop proposals to address key governance, security, economic, and reconciliation challenges while promoting a unified national vision for peace and stability and pave the road to national elections and unified institutions.
