Libya: UN expert to assess violence against women and girls

GENEVA (14 December 2022) – UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem will visit Libya from 14 to 19 December 2022, at the invitation of the Government of National Unity.

During her visit, Alsalem will examine systemic causes of gender-based violence against women and girls and the situation faced by those who encounter multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. Her focus will be on nationals of Libya, stateless, refugee, asylum seeker and other migrant women and girls of different backgrounds.

The expert will review implementation of Libya’s international commitments to legal, institutional and policy frameworks to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls by both State and non-State actors.

The Special Rapporteur will visit Tripoli and Benghazi and meet representatives of Government, law enforcement, UN officials, civil society, human rights defenders, women in politics and women and girls who are survivors of violence.

“While I am aware that the current situation in Libya is complex, my visit will highlight the multifaceted realities facing all women and girls in the country, particularly survivors of gender-based and conflict-related violence, and in doing so I am expressing my solidarity with the survivors of violence, and the numerous stakeholders that support them.  I will also seek to establish constructive dialogue with all relevant stakeholders with a view to establishing more effective preventative interventions and policies as well as better navigating the extraordinary challenges they face” Alsalem said. 

The UN expert will hold a press conference to share preliminary findings from her visit on Monday 19 December at 09:30am in Tripoli (venue to be advised). Access will be strictly limited to journalists.

The Special Rapporteur will present a full report on the country visit to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2023.

ENDS

Ms. Reem Alsalem (Jordan) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences by the UN Human Rights Council in July 2021, to recommend measures, ways and means, at the national, regional and international levels, to eliminate violence against women and its causes, and to remedy its consequences. She is an independent consultant on gender issues, the rights of refugees and migrants, transitional justice and humanitarian response. She holds a Masters in International Relations from the American University in Cairo, Egypt (2001) and a Masters in Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2003). 

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.