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LIBYA – LIBYAN WOMEN’S
PLATFORM FOR PEACE RELEASES AT CSW 59,
A CRISIS RESPONSE STRATEGY
TOWARDS ACHIEVING STABILIZATION
In light of the recent terrorist attacks
in Libya—including the heinous beheading of twenty-one Coptic Egyptians and the
bombing in Gubba, which left forty dead in Eastern Libya, and the deterioration
of the security situation (as has been highlighted in the final report of the
Panel of Experts established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1973
(2011), and most recently extended by Security Council resolution 2144 (2014),
which states that “over the course of 2014, 2,825 individuals were killed and
more than 394,000 people were forced from their homes to live as internally
displaced persons across 25 cities in the country”)—an urgent appeal for
action is needed and without delay. Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace,
after consultations with Libyan experts and young men and women activists, has
released a Crisis Response Strategy towards achieving stabilization at the
Fifty-Ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United
Nations in New York, from March 9 to 15.
With terrorism threatening to engulf the
country one city at a time and the unspoken humanitarian deterioration reaching
frightening levels, the need to put an end to the political fragmentation must
be fully recognized by all parties to the conflict. This is echoed by the
international community who commit themselves to political dialogue with the
aim of realizing a national unity government.
However, while all efforts are indeed necessary towards attaining a political
solution, it is equally as important to emphasize that political dialogue and a
unity government is not the sole solution in Libya. It is important not to
approach the complexities facing Libya today in isolation. Instead it is
necessary to aim for a coherent, holistic, comprehensive and integrated
approach, which ensures inclusive integration of the social, economic and
security components equally.
Amid all these challenges, Libyan women
and youth stand out. Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace facilitated a meeting of
Libyans experts, which took place on the 17-18th February 2015 (the 4th
Anniversary of the Libyan Revolution), to address the pressing concerns in
Libya, and develop a short-term crisis response strategy. The meeting, titled “Libya’s
Transition: Scenario Analysis and Crisis Response Strategy, Towards
Stabilization,” gathered Libyans of diverse backgrounds to discuss in depth
possible scenarios, putting into consideration political, economic, social and
security factors. These scenarios were examined against specific themes,
including youth and women leadership and the role of the international
community, and aimed at addressing pressing questions of security and
stabilization and initiating political and regional reconciliation. They also
served as a platform from which to dissect the challenges—looking not only at
what hinders the process of reconciliation in general, but also at the specific
context of the Libyan crisis and Libyan women.
The outcome of the meeting has not only offered a comprehensive crisis response
strategy, but has also allowed for Libyan ownership in proposing unbiased,
informed solutions to their problem. Ultimately, after scientific
methodological based consultations, a Crisis Response Strategy was proposed
with final recommendations that will be shared in full in the near future.
The following was proposed among these recommendations: