The 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council

28 February to 1 April 2022

Statement behalf of Meezaan Center for Human Rights

Agenda Item 10: Interactive Dialogue with Fact-Finding Mission Libya

30 March 2022

By Isabelle Despicht

Thank you, President,

We welcome the report of the Fact-Finding Mission, and all efforts made to investigate gross human rights violations in Libya. However, we remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis in the country.

For decades now, people’s rights continue to be systematically violated despite a consolidated body of international law.

Children are particularly vulnerable. They are recruited to actively participate in combat and  killed in hostilities - Also, their schools are being destroyed.

Their recruitment and use in combat effectively violate the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child as well as the CRC.

Besides being recruited, children are also held in detention, together with adults, only increasing their risk of being exposed to sexual violence. 

Here again we have to emphasise - the list of findings is non-exhaustive.

Children are not the only ones’ suffering from Enforced Disappearances. Adults too, are victims of gender-based violence and other grave human rights violations: The situation on the ground, is likely much worse, than what findings have suggested so far.

Therefore, Meezan Centre and Geneva International Centre for Justice call on the Council to extend the Mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission, so that investigations into these, and other grave human rights violations can continue. 

We further call for the creation of an independent international tribunal for international crimes and human rights violations committed in the country. 

We believe that the situation cannot improve if we do not hold all perpetrators accountable for their crimes. 

I Thank you.