National security governance is critical to the Libyan Government’s ability to provide public safety to its citizens and ensure national security. In Libya, this entails allocating clear roles and responsibilities to different governing bodies, most importantly between executive and legislative bodies. It also means establishing effective coordination among all entities involved in the provision of public safety and national security, and strengthening democratic oversight over the security sector.

On national security architecture, UNSMIL works in support of the Libyan Government by providing advice and assistance in the development of national security structures and strategic documents, as well as coordination mechanisms across the security sector. UNSMIL supports the Office of the Prime Minister, which has the primary responsibility for coordinating national security issues and developing a comprehensive policy, but which also supports complimentary efforts in other Ministries. In addition, UNSMIL has supported a number of initiatives to strengthen the oversight capacity of the security-related committees in the General National Congress, and works with partners, such as UNESCO, to promote awareness of security sector issues among security professionals, media and other civil society organizations.