What follows is an oral intervention on the Libya delivered by Mohamed Fortia, NCF’s Research Officer to the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Madam President,

A decade ago, the people of the State of Libya came out onto the streets, demanding change and accountability from those in power. Today the situation remainstense; however the journey to democracy is precisely that, a journey and not a destination. The Next Century Foundation commends the United Nations led Libyan Political Dialogue Forum as well as the Libyan people themselves who have shown great perseverance in continuing on the road to democracy.

We welcome the appointment of the new interim Government of National Unity and eagerly anticipate the national elections slated to take place at the end of the year.

However, weencourage the new interim government to not take their mandate for granted and to ensure that free and fair elections do in fact occur at the end of the year.

And we ask the new government to consider the needs and rights of Libya’s minority groups, since some of Libya’s Berber community are not even represented in the constitutional drafting process. The Next Century Foundation acknowledges the fact that the lack of representation is due to electoral boycotts by members of the Berber community however that does not make the problem any less concerning. We recommend that the new government consult all of Libya’s minority groups, especially the Amazigh, Tuaregandthe much discriminated against Tebou of Southern Libya, so as to not leave them out of Libya’s state building and democratic process, since the true measure of a democracy is the way it treats its minorities.

It is the right of all people to live in liberty, equality and fraternity.

Thank you