Tripoli – Today, The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Libya and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced an additional USD 1.5 million from the Norwegian government to support UNDP's local peacebuilding efforts in the South of Libya. This brings the total contribution of Norway to UNDP Libya to USD 8.1 million since 2017.

The South of Libya suffers from a high cost of living, limited public services, lack of economic opportunities, and the threat of violent conflict.

To reduce the risk of further conflict escalation in the South, UNDP has established an area-based Local Peacebuilding and Resilience Programme to mark the transition from immediate stabilization towards longer-term development and peacebuilding.

The Programme aims to strengthen local institutions to deliver meaningful improvement of living conditions at the community level, particularly for women and youth.

The newly pledged contribution builds upon the longstanding partnership between Norway and UNDP Libya, which has included support for UNDP’s Stabilization Facility for Libya (SFL) since 2017.

At today's signing ceremony of the new agreement, H.E. Ms. Hilde Klemetsdal, the Ambassador of Norway to Libya, commented: " Norway is proud to extend its cooperation with UNDP Libya, and we look forward to supporting peacebuilding in the South of Libya through this new agreement.”

Resident Representative of UNDP Libya, Marc-André Franche, further stated: “Thanks to our longstanding partnership with Norway, we have made a positive impact in various municipalities across the country. We look forward to expanding our collaborative efforts to support local authorities to develop peacebuilding plans, identify priority needs that foster peacebuilding and generate hundreds of jobs in Southern Libya.”

The initiative is implemented with the Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Planning, municipality councils, civil society organizations and local stakeholders to ensure ownership and institutionalize solutions for long-term sustainability.

Background

Since 2017, UNDP has supported national and local institutions in their efforts to promote resilience and peacebuilding across Libya by fostering inclusive economic recovery strategies. At the municipal level, UNDP assists local authorities’ structures in managing conflict and ensuring that interventions “do no harm” and contribute to peaceful coexistence. In partnership with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Planning, and other line ministries and local authorities, UNDP promotes stabilization and resilience, local economic recovery, and accountable and inclusive governance systems in 65 municipalities across the country for over 5 million people. 

For more information, or media interviews please contact: media.ly@undp.org