The United Nations Support Mission in Libya announced today (Tuesday) that a team of experts including representatives from the Libyan Parliament, the Government of National Unity (dismissed by the parliament), and the Presidential Council have reached an agreement on the key elements of a draft law regarding the missing persons. The participants agreed to form a unified national committee for the missing with clear powers to avoid duplication among existing institutions.

The attendees emphasized aligning the law with international standards related to enforced disappearances, enhancing family protection, and linking the search for the missing to transitional justice. The committee agreed to form a smaller drafting team to finalize the text and integrate feedback from sessions before submitting it to the House of Representatives.

The meeting included 46 representatives from the House of Representatives, the Presidential Council, the High Council of State, Ministries of Justice, Interior, Defense, Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister’s Office, the General Authority for the Search for the Missing, the National Council for Civil Liberties and Human Rights, forensic and legal experts, and members of civil society and academia.

Libya is working on preparing a comprehensive draft law on the missing to meet the urgent need to provide answers to families in line with international standards, supported by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and the United Nations Development Programme. This is part of a broader effort to establish a national authority for the missing, enhance transitional justice, criminal capacities, and public awareness initiatives as part of the pursuit of justice, truth, and reconciliation for communities affected by the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances and missing persons in Libya.