Tripoli: The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has announced significant progress in the drafting of a new law addressing the issue of missing persons in the country. This development came during a meeting held in Tripoli on September 17-18, part of a collaborative initiative with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) known as ‘Addressing the File of Missing Persons in Libya.’

According to Libyan News Agency, the meeting focused on discussions surrounding the draft law, with participants agreeing on the necessity of establishing a unified National Commission on Missing Persons. This commission would have a clear mandate to prevent duplication of efforts among existing institutions and to improve coordination at the national level.

Participants at the meeting stressed the importance of aligning the proposed law with international standards on enforced disappearances, enhancing protections for affected families, and integrating the search for missing persons into the broader framework
of transitional justice.

The UNSMIL highlighted that this progress results from a year-long consultation process involving a wide range of stakeholders. These included representatives from the House of Representatives (HoR), the Presidency Council, the High Council of State (HCS), various ministries such as Justice, Interior, Defense, and Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister’s Office, the General Authority for the Search of Missing Persons, and the National Council for Civil Liberties and Human Rights. Additionally, civil society members, academics, and experts in forensics and law contributed to these discussions.

The meeting benefited from legal mapping and technical analyses prepared in collaboration with UNSMIL and UNDP.