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Monthly Event Reports

October 2023 | Unresolved Disputes Threaten Libya Election Progress
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In early October, progress was made on the electoral process as the Eastern-based House of Representatives (HoR) approved modified versions of the laws governing presidential and parliamentary elections, passing them on to the High Electoral Commission for implementation. However, Mohamed Tekala, the new leader of the Tripoli-based High State Council (HSC), rejected these laws and ceased cooperation with HoR. Some HSC members argued this decision only mirrored Tekala's faction's stance, not the council's collective view. On 16 October, the UN Special Representative for Libya acknowledged some progress in the electoral process but stressed unresolved political issues. He highlighted the compulsory second presidential election round and the interconnection of presidential and parliamentary polls as potential sources of disruption. The representative also pointed out the lack of negotiations between rival factions to form a pre-election government, urging dialogue to prevent a unilateral government appointment by any party.

September 2023 | Government failures increased the number of deaths during storm-caused flooding

Libya was hit by a storm of unprecedented severity on 11 September. Climate scientists estimate that a storm of this intensity would normally affect Libya only once in every 300-600 years, but that climate change has made such extreme weather events ten times more likely. United Nations officials estimate that nearly 4,000 people were killed in the floods that followed the storm, many in the town of Derna where two dams collapsed, releasing huge amounts of water that swept people, vehicles, and infrastructure into the sea. Residents of the city (and foreign experts) blamed the government for the high death toll, with particular focus on inadequate maintenance of the dams, poor communication with residents in vulnerable areas, and inefficiencies in the delivery of aid.

March 2023 | Authorities impose severe restrictions on civil society

The Office of the Prime Minister for the Government of National Unity (GNU) and other Libyan authorities issued a series of decrees in March 2023 revoking the legal status of all local and international NGOs in the country established after 2011. The GNU is now requiring civil society organizations to establish their legal status under Law 19 of 2001, adopted during the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. That law requires all NGOs to have government approval and only permits groups that work with charity, sports, humanitarian and social issues. The decrees follow months of intensified crackdown on civil society with incidents of intimidation, detention and withholding entry visas for aid organizations. With potential Libyan elections in 2023, concerns have been raised that the decree effectively criminalizes independent election monitoring. Several national and international rights groups have condemned the move, calling on authorities to guarantee freedom for civic groups to operate. The GNU has granted temporary legality to local and international NGOs to continue working until they comply with Law 19. 

September 2022 | Fear of intensified war grows amid continued power struggle in Libya

Divisions among the political institutions in Libya were deepened in September when the Tobruk-based House of Representatives replaced the President of the Supreme Court, Mohamed al-Hafi, with Abdullah Burazizah. The vote was unanimous but may have lacked a quorum. Until now, the Supreme Court had been viewed as relatively above the political rivalries that have dominated Libyan politics for the past decade. Observers have suggested that this new appointment is likely to politicize this institution and bring it under the control of the legislature, a development that risks an intensification of the conflict.

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GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
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International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
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Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
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Convention on the Rights of the Child
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International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
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International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
No Action
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
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International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
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Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
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Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
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Equal Remuneration Convention
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Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
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Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
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Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
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Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
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Regional Treaties
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
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Arab Charter on Human Rights
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
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Representation neutral Rights
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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

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Representation
Representation
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/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
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/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
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high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
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/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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