The 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council

23 February – 31 March 2026

Item 6: UPR adoptions of Libya

Joint Oral Statement by Association Ma’onah for Human Rights and Immigration and Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ)

Delivered by Woko Tamakloe /GICJ

Mr. President,

We acknowledge Libya’s constructive engagement with the Universal Periodic Review and recent institutional developments. We specifically welcome the formal acceptance in May 2025 of the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction and the establishment of specialized human rights units within the Office of the Attorney General. We further note the 2024 election of the country’s first female municipal mayor as a positive step toward gender inclusion in public life.

Despite these measures, significant gaps remain between international commitments and the domestic human rights situation. The continued practice of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and systemic abuses against migrants and refugees in detention centers remain of grave concern. Furthermore, the absence of comprehensive legislation to combat gender-based violence leaves survivors without adequate legal protection or access to justice.

To address these issues, Association Ma’onah and the Geneva International Centre for Justice urge Libya to prioritize the adoption of transitional justice legislation and the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. We call for the establishment of an independent National Preventive Mechanism with a clear mandate to monitor all places of detention. Finally, we recommend the immediate passage of the draft law on ending violence against women and the amendment of the Penal Code to criminalize all forms of gender-based violence, including domestic violence and marital rape. We look forward to observing meaningful progress in the protection of human rights in the years ahead.

Thank you.