TRIPOLI — The Structured Dialogue Security Track this week set out concrete steps to strengthen election security, prevent election disruption and ensure results are respected. Recommendations include improving coordination among the High National Elections Commission, the Ministry of Interior, the judiciary and civil society; building the capacity of the electoral security department and specialised police force; and developing a code of conduct, to be endorsed by key political, security and social actors.
Security Track members representing Libyan institutions and security and civil society actors from across the country, reached an initial consensus on the recommendations over five days of debate, from 18 to 22 January, facilitated by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The recommendations, once fully developed, will be a key outcome of the Structured Dialogue, which brings together diverse Libyan voices to identify solutions to strengthen state institutions, address short- and long-term conflict drivers, and build consensus around a national vision for durable peace.
“Recent challenges observed during electoral processes highlight the need for a more coherent and unified approach to election security,” said Special Representative of the Secretary-General Hanna Tetteh, who attended the first day of the session. “The Security Track is engaging seriously with these lessons to help prevent their recurrence and strengthen public confidence in future elections.”
To inform their deliberations, track members received detailed briefings from the High National Elections Commission, the Ministry of Interior's Electoral Security Department and Operations Room, and the National Security Council.
Security Track members, who described the first session as “sensitive, serious, and constructive,” expressed concern about security incidents during last year’s municipal elections, including attacks on polling centres and other attempts to obstruct voting; irregularities in candidate registration; questions over the neutrality of some election monitors; shortages of resources and key vacancies in the institutions responsible for electoral security; and vulnerabilities in the civil registry that could affect voter eligibility and trust in results.
“The main concerns include the potential interference of armed groups and weak adherence to the chain of command,” said Structured Dialogue Member, Dr. Laila Badah, adding that securing polling stations and protecting voters and candidates will be challenging.
Noting that security intersects with governance, economy, and human rights and reconciliation—and vice versa—Structured Dialogue Member Wafa Al Sheriff said “forming a unified strategy will be the key to ensuring the overall success of the electoral process.”
With this in mind, Security Track members examined whether elections are feasible under current conditions, stressing that political and institutional fragmentation remains a major risk to security, and underscoring the need for unity of purpose among state institutions. They also analysed broader risks to election security, such as widespread weapons availability, hate speech and misinformation, and gaps in resources and training.
“Strengthening coordination mechanisms is a critical matter given the sensitivity of the situation in Libya,” Al Sheriff said.
Members also stressed the importance of support from the international community and the United Nations in oversight, guarantees, and sanctions for spoilers.
The Security Track’s concerns and recommendations reflect public input to the Structured Dialogue, including through UNSMIL’s extensive consultations with Libyan stakeholders and a recent UNSMIL survey that collected opinions from more than 1,000 people. More than 60 percent of those surveyed said elections would require commitments from all parties to accept results and prevent post-election conflict. Respondents specified that guarantees were needed to protect polling centres, prevent armed interference during the electoral process, and enforce against spoilers.
Increasing public trust and civil society participation in electoral security are also key to the conduct of safe elections, Structured Dialogue members said—a conclusion that is supported by 72 percent of survey respondents, who said public participation could have a positive impact on political decision-making. The Security Track recommended training more women to support election security operations and stressed the importance of meaningfully including persons with disabilities by ensuring polling stations are fully accessible—among other measures.
“The role of civil society is not just to oversee the security of ballot boxes, but to safeguard the integrity of the entire electoral process,” Dr. Badah said.
Moving forward, in addition to further developing the election security recommendations, Security Track members agreed to discuss conflict prevention and stabilisation, military and security unification, and security sector governance. Along with the other Structured Dialogue Tracks—governance, economy, and human rights and reconciliation—they will propose a mechanism to ensure the implementation of their recommendations.
The work of the Structured Dialogue aligns with UNSMIL’s mandate to use its good offices to facilitate an inclusive, Libyan-owned and -led political process, without determining outcomes, and to advance consensus on governance arrangements toward elections and long-term stability.
Discussions will continue online until the Security Track’s next in-person session in February.
