Latest news with #StephanieKoury
Zawya
4 days ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Women need better protection and support to be able to engage in the political process, say women in Tarhuna
Sixteen women from Tarhuna joined Deputy Special Representative for the Secretary General, Political, Stephanie Koury in a consultation meeting on the political process on Wednesday and stressed the need for better protection from violence, particularly online, as well as representation in decision making roles at state institutions. 'We know that Libyan women are very competent, but with the intimidation and threats, women are reluctant to step forward and engage in the political process,' said one participant suggesting that a closed list system for electoral candidates helped support better female participation. Another participant, who's sister was a prominent female figure in the community, highlighted that they had seen sustained hate campaigns against her for a number of years. 'This behavior needs to criminalized. Women are subject to violence and it should be stopped,' she said. The participants discussed the options put forward by the Advisory Committee and unanimously agreed that option 3 was the best way forward to overcome the political deadlock. 'The Libyan feeling is that UNSMIL and the political situation are going in circles,' said one woman, adding, 'to us it feels like the situation has been managed, not solved, and the same ideas are being recycled.' They added that representation for women in institutional bodies and at decision-making level was crucial. 'Quotas are needed, because without them we would probably have only men elected,' said one participant, adding that 30 per cent was not enough, but would be acceptable for now to help build up to a point where 50 per cent of those elected were women, reflecting the demographics of the population. The group discussed the importance of empowering women, and highlighted the Ra'idat programme [link] – with two of the participants having applied for this year's programme – as part of the work being done to support young women. 'Hopefully in the future we will not need a quota, but it is not a political tradition here to have women participate so we need it now,' said one woman. Others agreed saying that Libya was not experienced at democracy and they would like to empower more women to be able to engage. 'There needs to be more outreach and education to support women, fostering public awareness and cultural engagement' stressed another participant. 'We need to be educating them about their political rights.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
Libya Observer
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Libya Observer
Koury meets Tawergha delegation to discuss Advisory Committee recommendations
The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya, Stephanie Koury, has held a meeting with a delegation from the city of Tawergha to hear their views on the recommendations of the Advisory Committee and the future course of the country. The delegation included members of the Social Council, academics, and representatives of youth and women, according to a statement posted on the UN Mission's official Facebook page. During the meeting, Koury listened to the delegation's concerns and perspectives and reaffirmed the Mission's commitment to supporting a genuine and inclusive political process that is Libyan-led and benefits all Libyans. News Tagged: Stephanie Koury Advisory Committee
Libyan Express
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Libyan Express
Western Libya mayors present roadmap proposals to UN
Copy Link The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) held a meeting with representatives of the Western Region Movement to discuss proposals aimed at advancing a consensus-based political roadmap. UN Special Representative Hanna Serwaa Tetteh and Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs Stephanie Koury met on Monday with a 15-member delegation from the movement, which included the mayors of Ain Zara, Al-Jumail, Al-Manshiyya, Souq al-Jumua, Sorman, Central Zawiya, and Zuwara. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the work of the advisory committee and explore potential pathways for breaking the current political stalemate. The delegation highlighted the importance of unifying Libya's military and security institutions under the leadership of a single, legitimate government with effective authority across the country. They also raised concerns about the proliferation of weapons and increasing military tensions, emphasising the potential risks to civilian safety and stability. A representative, speaking on behalf of 143 local officials (Mokhtars) from 11 municipalities in the western region, conveyed a strong desire for peace and called for inclusive dialogue among all relevant parties to resolve the ongoing conflict. Tetteh reiterated the mission's continued support for de-escalation efforts and its commitment to facilitating a unified national approach that enables the holding of elections and the consolidation of state institutions. She is expected to present the proposed roadmap to the United Nations Security Council during her upcoming briefing in August.
Zawya
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Southern Youth to United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL): Improving the economy and security are priorities
Thirty-four youth from across the south of Libya joined Deputy Special Representative for the Secretary General Stephanie Koury in an online youth consultation Wednesday to discuss their opinions on the Advisory Committee's recommendations. The event is part of broader consultations to gather feedback from the public on the next steps of the political process. UNSMIL has also launched an online poll inviting Libyans to share options on the Advisory Committee's recommendations and contribute to shaping the way forward in the political process. Participants stressed the need for representation for the south in any mechanism or institution, highlighting that they suffer through economic instability and insecurity across borders and do not benefit from oil money. The youth all agreed that the deteriorating economic situation was closely linked to the security situation and one could not be solved without addressing the other. They highlighted that they wanted stability and security and their voices to be heard in representative forums. 'We suffer from weak infrastructure with power cuts during 50-degree heat,' said one participant from Ghat. 'We are deprived of basic services. We need to focus on these things, not a constitution.' The economic situation is so bad, another participant from Ghat said, that it's impacting the security situation. 'This is why people are making their livelihoods from selling weapons,' they said. 'We need to have a clear economic plan,' said a participant from Sebha. 'We need to end the sources of corruption.' A participant from Ubari called for transitional periods to end. 'Through the years and different governments, our divisions have only increased,' said a participant from Sebha, adding that the best way forward was to have a referendum. When discussing elections, the youth expressed distrust in the national authorities' ability to oversee elections and in the democratic process overall. One spoke of how votes had been bought; people he knew sold their voter cards in the previous elections. DSRSG Koury briefed participants on the four options put forward by the Advisory Committee in May. As outlined in the Executive Summary of the Advisory Committee's report, the options include: Conducting presidential and legislative elections simultaneously; Conducting parliamentary elections first, followed by the adoption of a permanent constitution; Adopting a permanent constitution before elections; or Establishing a political dialogue forum, based on the Libyan Political Agreement to finalize electoral laws, executive authority and permanent constitution. Many of the participants who joined favoured option four saying that this was the only option that ended the current cycle of entities that they felt did not represent them or the people of Libya. UNSMIL stressed that youth voices were crucial to the political process and that it intended to continue with its YouEngage outreach efforts. All participants were encouraged to complete UNSMIL's online poll [link] and share it with their friends and families to ensure community voices are heard. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
Libya Observer
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Libya Observer
Koury and Canadian Ambassador discuss Libya's political and security situation
Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Stephanie Koury, has met with Canadian Ambassador to Libya, Isabelle Savard, for a constructive discussion on the latest political and security developments in Libya. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) stated on Thursday on Facebook that the two officials exchanged views on the current situation in the country. The meeting underscored the importance of reducing tensions in Tripoli and supporting efforts to launch an inclusive political process that would lead to lasting stability in Libya. News Tagged: Stephanie Koury Canadian ambassador
