United Nations in Libya

The United Nations has been active in Libya since the 1950s through the presence of specialized Agencies, Funds, and Programmes, collectively known as the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), alongside the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), established in 2011. Together, these entities work in close partnership with Libyan institutions and stakeholders to support peace, recovery, and sustainable development, aligned with national priorities, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the 2030 Agenda.

Operating under the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023–2027, the UN system in Libya delivers integrated support across political, humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding domains. Through UNSMIL’s good offices and coordinated UN engagement, the United Nations supports a Libyan‑owned and Libyan‑led political process, including efforts to advance a credible, inclusive electoral pathway, promote institutional unification, strengthen governance, and support national reconciliation.

In a complex and evolving context marked by political fragmentation, localized insecurity, economic pressures, mobility dynamics, and climate and environmental challenges, the UN in Libya works with national and local partners to strengthen institutions, improve service delivery, and build resilience at community level. UN-supported interventions expand access to essential services, enhance social protection and inclusion, strengthen economic governance and livelihood opportunities—particularly for women and youth—and support climate‑resilient water, energy, and environmental solutions.

At the same time, the United Nations continues to deliver lifesaving humanitarian and protection assistance to people in need, including internally displaced persons, migrants, refugees, and vulnerable host communities, while supporting nationally led, longer‑term solutions. Across all areas of engagement, the UN system remains committed to coherence, national ownership, and collective impact, in support of peace, stability, and dignity for all people in Libya.

Milestones

1

In 2022, the UN in Libya shifted its focus of support to the Ministry of Education from emergency response and service delivery to system strengthening, particularly on pedagogy, skills development, including digital skills, and effective coordination. 20,000 children in 16 municipalities also benefited from remedial classes.

2

With an overall 60% decrease in the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) since the October 2020 ceasefire agreement (standing at 125,000 as of Dec 2022), the UN in Libya supported national partners to design and implement a national strategy on durable solutions for IDPs.

3

The UN in Libya supported the restoration or maintenance of access to basic services for 60 per cent of the population.

4

The UN in Libya provided technical support on constitutional, legal, and electoral issues to local and national entities and key stakeholders.

5

Building on key results in 2019-2022, the UN in Libya developed a new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2023-2025) with government to support Libya’s path toward sustainable peace and development and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

6

The UN in Libya is strengthening national capacity for collecting statistics and data, such as for a national census and first-ever conducting of a Nutrition Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions survey and a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, for a data-driven approach to achieve sustainable peace and development.

 

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The Sustainable Development Goals in Libya

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Libya: