TUNIS – Libyan lawmakers, legal experts, and rights advocates have agreed on a final draft law designed to grant civil society organizations stronger legal protections to operate independently and effectively. The milestone was achieved during a two-day roundtable convened earlier this week by UNSMIL's Human Rights Service.
The session, held in Tunis, brought together members of the House of Representatives (HoR), former Libyan Minister of Justice Salah al-Marghani, the Platform, the Council for Civil Liberties and Human Rights, and representatives of civil society organizations alongside UNSMIL Human Rights officials and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies.
In her opening remarks, Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs, Stephanie Koury, stressed that UNSMIL is present only to facilitate dialogue and offer technical expertise when requested. She urged participants to engage constructively, share their expertise, and focus on practical outcomes aimed at securing a realistic path forward, before wishing them a successful workshop.
Building on previous UN-facilitated discussions held in Geneva and Tunis, the discussions resulted in agreement on a final draft and a concrete pathway for advancing it to the HoR, following an article-by-article review. UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero participated in the process and committed to continued follow-up and technical support towards the adoption of legislation that meets international standards on freedom of association and is developed through inclusive consultation with Libyan civil society.
“Concrete commitment to move forward with adoption of the draft law marks an important milestone towards ensuring that Libyan civil society organizations can operate safely, independently and effectively,” said UNSMIL’s Human Rights Officer Kholoud Najm. “Protecting freedom of association is essential for meaningful public participation and an inclusive political process, including credible electoral processes.”
A key focus was establishing transparent, accessible and proportionate procedures for civil society organizations, including registration requirements, while safeguarding organizations from arbitrary or undue state interference. Participants also examined existing restrictive frameworks, including Law No. 19 of 2001 and Decision No. 286 of 2019, which the proposed legislation seeks to replace with a unified, rights-based framework.
