TRIPOLI — The United Nations Support Mission in Libya welcomes the engagement of the institutions that have responded to its request for nominations for the Structured Dialogue membership so far. The Mission is also grateful for the strong interest expressed by more than a thousandLibyans in joining the dialogue as members and for their own self nomination as candidates.
UNSMIL this week began extending invitations to potential Structured Dialogue members. In the spirit of transparency, the Mission would like to clarify the selection process.
UNSMIL has solicited nominations from municipalities, political parties, universities, technical institutions, women’s and youth groups, and civil society organizations, including human rights and victim’s groups. These entities were asked to put forth potential participants who are being considered based on the following criteria and qualities:
Not implicated in the perpetration of any violations or abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law, nor engage in hate speech, corruption, fraud, or unethical practices
Experience and considerable knowledge in governance, the economy, security, and national reconciliation and human rights in Libya, as the four thematic areas of focus of the Structured Dialogue.
Demonstrate credibility and work for national and public interests.
Demonstrate commitment to advancing inclusive, consensus-based political solutions.
Demonstrate engagement in good faith, listening to and respecting others’ opinions, building bridges, and a willingness to collaborate with others to propose pragmatic, workable solutions that will be developed into policy recommendations and proposals for legislative reforms.
Nominees should also be able to dedicate sufficient time and capacity to participate in the dialogue sessions, which will take place over a period of approximately four to six months.
Nominations put forward by institutions do not guarantee membership as the Mission intends to ensure balanced geographic representation, and the inclusion of various political currents, women, cultural components and persons with disabilities. The Mission may also identify additional members to achieve this overall balance and required subject matter expertise. At least 35 per cent of members will be women and at least one person with disabilities will be included in each of the four thematic groups.
The Structured Dialogue, which is part of the roadmap the Mission presented to the Security Council in August, will be composed of approximately120 members. It aims to broaden the inclusivity of the political process by bringing together Libyans from all regions, political persuasions, and backgrounds.
To maximize the involvement of the broader Libyan public, the Mission will provide various opportunities to submit inputs and engage on the issues being discussed in the Structured Dialogue, including through online surveys, and in-person and virtual meetings. A Women's Caucus is being established to strengthen women's participation, and a digital platform has been set up to promote active youth engagement. Input gathered from these mechanisms will inform the Structured Dialogue’s work.
The Mission also will invite representatives from some state institutions, and intends to tap into other Libyan experts as resource persons during the dialogue process on an ad-hoc and as needed basis.
The Structured Dialogue is not a decision-making body for the selection of a new government, but rather will explore concrete recommendations to create a conducive environment for elections and address immediate governance, economic, and security challenges. By examining and developing policy and legislative proposals to address long-term conflict drivers, the work of the Structured Dialogue will aim to build consensus on a national vision that will shape the path to stability.