Details

The European Union seems ready to assist Libya in building its post-conflict future, but there appears to be no clear common thread of European interest and approaches towards the country. The EU and its member states hold the capacities to be strongly involved in humanitarian emergency aid, political reform initiatives and stabilization efforts, but they yet lack a comprehensive and mutual agenda-setting. This workshop aims to identify fields of action for the European Union in Libya and gather recommendations for European engagement in support of the stabilization and political transformation of the country in order to assist Libyans in shaping a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic future for their country.

During the course of the workshop, Libyan experts will outline key problems and expectations in four core fields of possible European engagement: political support, humanitarian and development efforts, security sector reform, and economic empowerment. Representatives of EU institutions will present the current European approaches (if applicable) and discuss the EU’s modi operandi together with European and Libyan experts before continuing in separate working group sessions along the four core fields of action. The expert recommendations will be used to draft a long-term strategy for the EU with policy recommendations and priorities exceeding the present approach of unilateral “quick fixes.”

Discussions should address aspects of local ownership and good governance, the role of European and international external actors, ways of reducing multiple legitimacies in the country, establishing a reconciliation process and addressing local grievances as well as the limit of empowering local structures before weakening national authority.

Thursday, 30 August 2018

09:30Welcoming Remarks and Introduction

09:45 Rethinking Transition: From a Fragile State to a Stable Future in Libya

How can and should the EU work towards stabilization and (tribal) reconciliation in Libya?

How can EU engagement contribute to an inclusive political process aiming for unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of a Libyan government?

How can the EU further support local and regional governments and integrate the new forms of governance into policy approaches?

How can the EU facilitate dialogue initiatives between different communities?

11:15Coffee Break

11:45Stabilization and Reconstruction: Humanitarian and Development Efforts

How can and should the EU be engaged in humanitarian and immediate crisis response in Libya and support the protection as well as safe and voluntary return of migrants?

How can the EU support the long-term resilience of the local population and effectively meet the country’s development needs?

Which role can the EU play in the provision of health and education services as well as in increasing livelihood opportunities for the population?

13:15Lunch

14:30 Economic Empowerment: Restarting the Libyan Engine

What are the key issues facing the Libyan economy currently?

How can these issues be overcome?

How can the EU support Libyan actors in uniting Libyan financial institutions and stabilizing the Libyan dinar?

What needs to be done to bring the Libyan oil and gas sector back on old production heights?

How can the EU support Libyan authorities in combatting trafficking/organized crime and limit the influence of the shadow economy?

16:00Coffee Break

Friday, 31 August 2018

09:30 Facilitating Stability: Supporting Libya’s Security Sector

What are the main expectations vis-à-vis the security sector and justice system in Libya?

How can the EU assist in local conflict reduction, and the establishment of a rule of law?

How can the EU contribute to the protection of civilians?

How effective are local police training programs?

How can the EU promote the development of a Libyan counterterrorism strategy?

Which measures should be in place to ensure DDR and SJSR?

11:00 Coffee Break

11:30 Parallel Writing Group Sessions

Group 1: Political Support

Group 2: Humanitarian and Development Efforts

Group 3: Supporting the Security Sector and Justice System

Group 4: Economic Empowerment

13:00Lunch

14:15Presentation of Writing Group Policy Recommendations

15:15End of the workshop