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, national reconciliation and human rights and governance – have 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. And it has been our pleasure to see you do so, in what we consider to be a true Libyan-led and Libyan-owned spirit. These recommendations are intended to help create the sufficient conditions for holding national elections, to help unify and strengthen institutions and address some of the long-standing drivers of conflict. As UNSMIL, we have been honored to accompany you through this process by providing the platform and the necessary logistical and substantive support, and I would like to express my thanks to important partners who have made this possible. First, let me thank the generous contributions of the donors – the European Union, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom – that made all of your meetings possible. I would also like to express UNSMIL’s appreciation to all the external experts who generously shared their time, their knowledge, and expertise regarding issues that were under discussion in different Structured Dialogue tracks. And finally, if you permit, I would like to thank my colleagues who provided facilitation for these discussions and who have worked tirelessly with members of the Structured Dialogue in the different tracks to support the very intense discussions and exchange of ideas that have taken place over the last six months.
Today marks an important milestone: this is the final meeting of the Structured Dialogue. The objective of today’s plenary is for you to present the outcomes of these important deliberations, the consensus that was achieved and where there are points of disagreements, and to celebrate your achievements – which was no easy feat – as UNSMIL continues to work to advance other elements of the Roadmap that I articulated to the Security Council last August.
Distinguished members of the Structured Dialogue,
There are few things that have made this process distinct from any other process:
- First, the inclusiveness and diversity of its members. This is the largest convening that the United Nations has ever put together in Libya.Approx. 120 participants came from all over the country, including 35% women, young people, persons with disabilities and representatives of various cultural and linguistic components. The composition reflected the rich diversity of Libya and the 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 of the meetings of the Structured Dialogue have been held inside Libya – and going forward we believe that should be our continued reality – mostly in the capital Tripoli but also in Benghazi. Despite our best efforts, the meeting in Sebha was not able to take place due to challenges outside of our control; but for our colleagues and members of the Structured Dialogue who are from the south, please be assured that we will come to the South, even after the Structured Dialogue has concluded. Because the fact that we were not able to attend this time, does not make the region any less important and we appreciate your active and important contributions to the discussions throughout the process. We look forward to holding these related follow-up meetings and we believe that the Structured Dialogue has created a powerful symbolism: a diverse set of Libyans, united in their love and commitment for their country, coming together at home to shape its future.
- The third thing was the scale of outreach beyond this dialogue. The Structured Dialogue was not limited to those sitting in this hall today. We designed the process so that we could 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 over 3,000 youth through the digital youth platforms, and a group of persons with disabilities from different parts of the country, and we have prepared toolkits to facilitate discussions in communities. We drew on Libyan expertise, invited local experts to ground our work in their knowledge and experience. And many of you, as members of the Structured Dialogue, also engaged in your own outreach and consultations. We appreciate your efforts and all the voices we heard mattered, and we believe will be reflected in your work.
- Fourthly, 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 more popularly 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 by your views. It was also in response to the 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 and is 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 articulated clearly and extensively by the participants. 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 this Libyan-led and Libyan-owned process.
- (Fifth,) we saw many wrestle with the aspirational objectives we want and the practical realities that we 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.
- And 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.
- Finally, despite differences in perspectives and priorities, we know that the Structured Dialogue demonstrated that constructive dialogue across political, geographic, generational, and institutional divides remains for the most part possible. The willingness of you, distinguished members of the Structured Dialogue, to engage respectfully, seek compromise, and identify common ground, and disagree on some areas offers an important lesson for Libya’s broader political process.
The recent developments in relation to the misinformation that the United Nations is intending to settle migrants in Libya and the violence it provoked also remind us of the importance of relying on facts rather than misinformation, and of rejecting narratives that seek to divide communities, undermine trust or spoil political processes intended to support Libya. The challenges facing Libya require informed debate, responsible leadership, and constructive engagement. Recognizing that strong, effective leadership is based on understanding citizens’ priorities and advancing their interests. The Structured Dialogue has demonstrated that even difficult issues can be discussed respectfully and pragmatically when people come together in good faith and focus on solutions that are responsive to their aspirations, while acknowledging current challenges.
Distinguished members of the Structured Dialogue,
Your excellencies, Ambassadors, representatives of the International Follow-up Committee on Libya,
Today marks the end of an important chapter but not an end of our journey.
The next phase of Libya’s political process will continue to be built on Libyan-led efforts. It will be used to push for critical recommendations and reforms, articulated through the Structured Dialogue, by the governing entities now and after elections. We will use the afternoon session to discuss how we can build on your efforts, and the role you, as Structured Dialogue members, can play in mobilizing support for the outcomes.
For our part, I will inform during my next briefing to the Security Council of the conclusion of this process, which many Council members have been eagerly looking forward to.In the coming weeks, we will study your recommendations in much more details while we organize outreach efforts to share the outcomes of your dialogue with the wider Libyan society to seek their views and build support, so that this can inform the political process, including creating conditions for national elections, strengthening institutions and good governance, and reflective of the public’s needs.
While UNSMIL has been honored to be the facilitator of these processes, we believe that this discussion demonstrates the need for political change and the need for you to have institutions that are based on democratic legitimacy. Because it is those institutions that you create that should be the arbiters of your future and leave the management of your prosperity and your destiny truly in Libyan hands.
Once again, I thank you all for rising to the occasion, and for your professionalism, expertise, patience, and dedication over the last six months. And may God continue to bless Libya.
