"Interactive Dialogue with the Fact-finding mission on Libya (oral update)

Agenda Item 10: Technical assistance and capacity-building"

Statement by: Association Ma'onah for Human Rights and Immigration

5 October 2020

Thank you, President.

We would like to thank the Chair of the Fact-finding Mission for his oral update. 

We are deeply concerned about the security situation and humanitarian crisis in Libya. Even with the security and military talks, the efforts towards a lasting ceasefire are still far from success.

Millions of Libyans are in need of humanitarian assistance including the more than 300’000 civilians forcibly displaced, facing arbitrary and abusive detention in facilities controlled by human traffickers.

Since the events of 2011, we witness ongoing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict in Libya. It is unfortunate that the Mission mandate doesn’t cover the entire period of these abuses.

Ma’onah Association and Geneva International Centre for Justice would like to reiterate the importance of a focus on gender based and sexual violence, as women and young girls are hit hardest by the conflict. We therefore ask the chair: what is being done to address this issue of gender-based and sexual violence, and how is the well-being of women and girls safeguarded during the exercise of the mission’s mandate?

We urge the Libyan authorities and all other parties to the conflict to fully cooperate with the fact-finding mission, and to grant its members unhindered access to all sites. Moreover, we appeal to this Council to address the widespread impunity for human rights abuses committed in Libya and take active measures to prevent further violations.

Thank you.