An exchange meeting on the possibilities of cooperation between the Council of Europe and Libya was held on 21 February 2022 in Tunis, within the framework of the South Programme IV, with the participation of representatives of the National Council for Civil Liberties and Human Rights in Libya, the Higher Committee for the Rights of the Child, the Ministry of Interior, the Attorney General Office, the Supreme Judicial Council as well as the Permanent Commission for Humanitarian Affairs in the Libyan army.

Discussions focused on opportunities for cooperation, particularly around the themes and actions on combating trafficking in human beings, ensuring justice adapted to child victims of sexual violence as well as on fighting violence against children in Libya, and the possibilities of capacity building with the various relevant courses of the European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP).

Ms. Pilar Morales, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tunis, who opened the meeting, stressed the regional dimension of many of the challenges faced by the countries of the region and the readiness of the Council of Europe to provide its expertise on these issues, underlining the universal nature of its values and tools.

Participants also showed particular interest in the implementation of actions on the fight against terrorism, the fight against torture and violence against women as well as the right to access to information and the protection of personal data.

The exchanges emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation between the Council of Europe and Libya in order to support the efforts undertaken in consolidating the principles of freedoms, Human rights and the rule of law in the country.

Libya will also be invited to participate in relevant regional activities implemented under the South Programme IV to address the needs and priorities of Human rights in the country, while strengthening regional dialogue.

 

 

The South Programme IV is a joint programme of the Council of Europe and the European Union, financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.