Rebuilding trust and social fabric

Whilst progress has been achieved in recent years as the ceasefire has held, communities across Libya still recognize the lack of security, basic social services, and economic opportunities threatening peace. Fragility in Libya is driven by multiple factors, some historical such as tribal grievance and competition over the control of resources, or more recent trends linked to the impact of years of violence, migration, or illicit trade. The last decade of violence and instability has eroded 20 years of development gains underlined by UNDP's Global Human Development Report 2021/2022.

In line with United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2025, UNDP builds peace through enhanced local governance and participation, which build trust between citizens and state institutions; improved and more equitable access to basic social services; and economic opportunities providing decent and meaningful jobs.  

Since 2016, UNDP has invested in building peace in 65 municipalities across the country, home to 75 percent of the population, improving the delivery of basic social services and enhancing conflict resolution and dialogue mechanisms. It has also invested in providing income-generation opportunities with a special focus on youth and women. 

UNDP's area-based approach focused on 25-30 municipalities across the country addresses the needs of the most vulnerable area and promotes integrated socioeconomic recovery and community resilience. To ensure inclusivity and no-harm, a systemic approach to gender, conflict analysis, and sensitivity is mainstreamed, engaging marginalized groups, women, youth, and others from host communities such as IDPs, returnees, and migrants.

Our work:

• Localizing knowledge and expertise and building the capacities of national and local governmental institutions to sustainably deliver equitable access to basic services for all, particularly women, youth, and host communities. 
• Establishing partnerships with national and local authorities to strengthen institutional and human capacities to analyze conflict, plan and deliver services that build peace and resilience. 
• Strengthening local capacities and structures for service delivery and conflict management. This includes creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, particularly for women, youth and vulnerable groups.
• Scaling up support to civil society organizations to participate in local development and peacebuilding processes through strengthening their organizational capacities, accountability and relationship with local authorities and stakeholders.  

UNDP strengthens capacities driving the inclusion of underrepresented groups in dialogue spaces, life and development processes to support reconciliation, social cohesion and sustaining peace. This builds citizens' trust in government and creates conditions for peaceful coexistence.

Women Empowerment

UNDP Libya strives to empower women and girls through our Gender Equality Strategy and Women Empowerment Plan for 2023-2025. We provide access to basic social services and sustainable livelihood opportunities to address the structural impediments to achieving gender equality and enhancing women's economic power.

Moreover, we aim to provide long-term and sustainable solutions that empower women to be active forces of change. Gender-responsive approaches facilitate women's access to new industries and economic recovery activities while engaging men to support these new roles. We strive to create a lasting impact that will foster an equitable and sustainable future for all.

• Strengthening the capacity of local administration to deliver gender-responsive and conflict-sensitive basic social services. 
• Enhancing private sector capacity to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for women and men.  
• Enhancing the capacity of local stakeholders to boost gender-responsive social cohesion that sustains peace.