News briefing
Translated and edited by: Committee for Justice
Geneva: April 3, 2023
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk confirmed on Monday that his office will strengthen its work on Libya, where the human rights situation continues to deteriorate amid widespread violence by armed actors, ongoing political deadlock, and deepening curbs on civic space.
His statements came as the Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Libya, established by the Human Rights Council in June 2020, concluded its operations, handing over its archives and the evidence it has collected to the UN Human Rights Office.
The eyes of the international community have not left Libya:
“Libyan authorities, armed groups, smugglers and human traffickers should not assume that the eyes of the international community have now left Libya. It is crucial that we redouble efforts to secure accountability for past violations and continue to monitor the reality on the ground to prevent future violations,” UN chief said.
The fact-finding mission recommended that the UN Human Rights Office should “establish a distinct and autonomous mechanism with an ongoing mandate to monitor and report on gross human rights violations in Libya, with a view to supporting Libyan reconciliation efforts and assisting the Libyan authorities in achieving transitional justice and accountability”.
