In its discussion of the situation in Libya, Council members must forcefully condemn recent efforts to undermine women’s human rights, notably freedom of movement, and also condemn efforts to undermine the work of women’s civil society groups and women human rights defenders and peacebuilders. As of April 2023, the Tripoli Internal Security Agency (ISA), an armed group linked with the Tripoli Government of National Unity (GNU) has required women and girls traveling from Tripoli airport to provide a justification for travelling without a male relative as of April 2023. There are some reports that civil society, including women’s rights groups and women human rights defenders and peacebuilders who have spoken against the policy have been targeted by security forces in attempts to intimidate; these efforts occur in the context of the severe crackdown on civil society more broadly by authorities and armed groups that was intensified after a March-issued legal opinion by the Supreme Judicial Council effectively declared all NGOs as “illegal.” These actions seek to not only prevent women’s groups from carrying out their work, including provision of basic services in humanitarian contexts, but further undermine women’s safe, full, equal, and meaningful participation. Council members should explicitly reinforce the necessity of ensuring women’s meaningful and safe participation in formal, substantive, and specific roles at every level of the peace process and in provincial councils, including through adoption of a quota for women of no less than 30%. Further, in all briefings and statements, speakers must draw attention to the risk women peacebuilders, human rights defenders, politicians, activists and civil society leaders face, and request that the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) support inclusive and consultative mechanisms to enable women of all backgrounds to participate safely and meaningfully without fear of reprisal.

Members of the Council are also encouraged to financially and politically support the establishment of a viable independent follow-up mechanism to continue documenting and reporting on the human rights and impunity crisis in Libya and to monitor the implementation of the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Liby, whose mandate ended in March 2023. This should be seen as separate from the day-to-day monitoring and reporting carried out by the human rights component of UNSMIL, so as not to detract or interfere with UNSMIL’s political mandate , and in order to ensure independence of the follow-up work as a step towards justice and accountability for victims of serious crimes in Libya.