Assalamu Alaikum
Distinguished members of the Structured Dialogue,
Ambassadors and representatives of the International Follow-up Committee on Libya,
It is my pleasure to welcome you back to this hall, where our journey began almost six months ago. What began as a shared commitment has grown into a dynamic and meaningful process driven by your dedication, your expertise, and your belief in your country’s future.
Since December 2025, the four tracks – the economy, security, and national reconciliation and human rights and governance – met consistently, in-person and/or virtually, to engage in candid, sometimes difficult but always important discussions to help shape a national vision for Libya. You have taken the lead in identifying priority issues, organized discussions around these issues, and put together recommendations. These recommendations are intended to help create the sufficient conditions for holding national elections, help unify and strengthen institutions and help address the long-standing drivers of conflict. As UNSMIL, we were honored to accompany you through this process by providing the platform and the necessary logistical and substantive support, and I'm glad to express my thanks to thanks to the generous contributions of the donors [EU, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Switzerland, UK] that made all of your meetings possible. I also would like to express UNSMIL’s appreciation to all the external experts who generously shared their time, knowledge, and expertise regarding issues that were under discussion in different Structured Dialogue tracks.
Today marks an important milestone: the final meeting of the Structured Dialogue. The objective of today’s plenary is for you to present the outcomes and to celebrate your achievements – which was no easy feat – as UNSMIL continues to work to advance the other elements of the Roadmap I articulated to the Security Council last August.
Distinguished members of the Structured Dialogue,
There are few things that make this process distinct from any other processes:
- First, the inclusiveness and diversity of its members. Approx. 120 participants came together from all over the country, including 35% women, youths, persons with disabilities and representatives of various cultural and linguistic components. The composition reflected the rich diversity of Libya and different viewpoints that make up this beautiful country. It was also a first dialogue that purely focused on the people’s vision of Libya’s future, without the pressure of a designated political outcome such as government formation.
- Secondly, all the meetings of the Structured Dialogue have been held inside Libya, mostly in the capital Tripoli but also in Benghazi. Despite our best efforts, the meeting in Sebha was not possible due to challenges outside of our control; but for our colleagues who are from the south please be assured we will come after the SD. The fact that we were not able to go does not make the region any less important and members from the southern region have made active and important contributions to the discussions throughout the process. We look forward to holding related follow up meetings in Sabha and other cities in the South. There is a powerful symbolism: a diverse set of Libyans, united in their love and commitment for the country, coming together at home to shape its future.
- Third, the scale of outreach that extended beyond this dialogue. The Structured Dialogue was not limited to those sitting around this hall today. We designed the process so that we can hear from as many Libyans as possible and build on existing efforts across the country. To this end, we organized virtual dialogues and online surveys which reached 10,451 people. We also engaged 3,000+ youth through the digital youth platforms, a group of persons with disabilities from different parts of the country, and prepared toolkits to help facilitate discussions in the local communities. We drew on Libyan expertise, invited local experts to ground our work in their knowledge and experience. Many of you as SD members also engaged in your own outreach and consultations. we appreciate your efforts and All the voices we heard mattered and were reflected in your work.
- Fourth, while maintaining purely Libyan ownership of the process, the Structured Dialogue enjoyed the support and accompaniment of the international community. The Ambassadors of the International Follow-up Committee on Libya which is known as the berlin process are here with us today, as they were during the launch in December. The four tracks have also had the opportunity to interact with the members of the Berlin process working groups over the last six months to directly share the challenges and priorities from the Libyan perspective.
Distinguished members of the Structured Dialogue,
When we launched this process back in December, we did with a clear conviction: no political process can succeed unless it is genuinely shaped by Libyans themselves, by your aspirations and views. It was also in response to overwhelming desire from Libyan people to see a more inclusive political process where the breadth of the population is involved and have their voices heard and listened to. Through the Structured Dialogue, we wanted to create a space for such a discussion to take place, in a constructive, safe and open manner.
We will shortly hear from the Structured Dialogue members where their long and arduous discussions have landed and what their final recommendations are.
But before we do, allow me to highlight some of the key take aways from UNSMIL’s perspective:
- First, what was evident was a strong desire for a change, a change that is steeped in justice and dignity. There was deep frustration with the status quo and alarm over the current trajectory of the country.
- Second, we heard a powerful call for unity. Institutional division and parallel structures were seen as the core driver of dysfunction and instability in Libya and negatively impacting the daily lives of ordinary Libyans. These impacts were expressed clearly. There were strong calls across all tracks to unify state institutions, whether related to political, security, economic, or judicial institutions.
- Third, there was also the consistent embrace of inclusivity and an acknowledgment of diversity, both in words but also in actions during the meetings. There was a strong normative and operational emphasis on participation of women, persons with disabilities, youth, different cultural and linguistic components, as well as equitable geographic representation and fair distribution of resources and services.
- Fourth,there was also an indisputable desire to protect Libyan ownership. I want to acknowledge here the role played by the Libyan coordination bureaus of each of the tracks, because your efforts were essential in driving a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned process.
- Fifth, we saw many wrestle with the aspirational objectives we want and the practical realities that we need to face, and search for a middle ground that is pragmatic while still advancing issues forward. This often led to sequenced, and phased approaches aimed at achieving progress in a realistic manner.
- Sixth, there was a clear recognition of the centrality of Libya’s economic governance to the conflict itself. Participants underscored the urgent need for critical reforms to strengthen accountability and improve transparency, to restore public trust, reduce incentives for parallel power structures, and create the minimum conditions for a credible and sustainable political process – which can actually benefit the Libyan people.
