Libyan people deserve to enjoy the wealth of their homeland, live in peace, feel the opportunities of safe and secure environment. Unfortunately, Libya struggled to establish such an environment for decades. The issue fields in question can be categorized with lacking institutionalization, limited centralization, scattered local dynamics and aggressive military undertakings to challenge and dominate the overall Libya. Affiliated with this perception, Khalifa Haftar started a campaign to topple down the GNA on April 4th, 2019 and unilaterally claimed himself as the ruler of the country.

As GNA swept Haftar’s forces from the southern neighborhood of Tripoli, and captured the cities along the north-west coast, Al Wattiyah air base, Tarhuna and Beni Walid as well, a new balance of conflict has culminated across Sirte – Cufra line. Inclusion of external actors, with region-wide conflict sentiments, fastened the desire of a political solution while transforming the Libyan crisis into an international political theme. On the other hand, internal political competition has gained momentum as far as the political sentiments of external actors cooled down.

Under the clout of international and domestic military, political and social dynamics, Libyans are now in an effort to start a state-building effort by means of a constitutional referendum and political elections. The desire of Libyan public is to have a democratic, civil and accountable state architecture and enjoy more than basic services that signifies a prosperous Libya. Security sector reform (SSR) is the foundation of such an effort.

SSR for Libya is not a new phenomenon. It has been often referred to and attempted by both Libyans and international actors. Unfortunately, previous attempts have failed to build a security system and reform the existing one. The dynamics that affect SSR efforts are many-folds that challenges persist. A thorough and comprehensive SSR commitment appears as an obligation with public support, political willingness, obtained consent of the armed groups and adequate resourcing in the way to consolidate united Libya.

This conference is designed to portray the required SSR discourse for Libya in accordance with the published research of SETA, under the authorship of Dr. Murat Aslan. For this purpose, first panel of the Conference will delve the courses for the SSR efforts in Libya. In this sense, vision, concept and principals of the SSR will be analyzed while courses of SSR commitment is outlined. The second Panel will focus on the challenges in case SSR is commenced. The probable impediments and probable courses to counter them will briefly be discussed.

The International Conference for Libya brings together experts on Libya, as well as academic or think tank members from Turkey, Libya, Europe, Russia, and the USA in order to discuss about the array of prerequisites and challenges. Given that security sector reform is fundamental for a safe and secure Libya, the assumption of the Conference is that all parties in Libya desire stability and prosperity for the Libyans.

EVENT PROGRAMME (ONLINE)

• THURSDAY; November 19^th, 2020

Welcoming Remarks 14.00

Burhanettin Duran, General Coordinator of SETA

Keynote Speeches 14.10-14.50

H.E. Stephanie Turco Williams, Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Head of United Nations Support Mission in Libya

H.E. Engineer Salahedin Namroush, Minister of Defense, Government of National Accord, The Libya State

H.E. Hulusi Akar, Minister of Defense, The Republic of Turkey

Panel I. Security Sector Reform for Libya: An Obligation for Future

15:00 – 16:00

Chair: Murat Yeşiltaş, Chair of SETA Security Directorate, Faculty Member of Ankara Social Sciences University

Murat Aslan, Security Researcher, SETA; Faculty Member of Hasan Kalyoncu University, Director of Kalyoncu Middle East Research Center

Salim Raad; Principal Security Sector Reform Director of the UNSMIL

Mustafa El Sagezli; The General Manager of the Libyan Program for the Reintegration and Development

Questions and Answers

Panel II. Challenges to the Security Sector Reform for Libya

16:20 – 17:20

Chair: Murat Aslan; Security Researcher, SETA; Faculty Member of Hasan Kalyoncu University, Director of Kalyoncu Middle East Research Center

Guma El Gamaty; Special Envoy of GNA’s PM Sarraj to Maghreb Countries, Head of Taghyeer Political Party in Libya

Salah Elbakkoush; Political Analyst, former Advisor to the High Council of Libya State

Hafed Al Ghwell; Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute (FPI) of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University

Questions and Answers

Closing Remarks

Note: The Conference language is English. It will be broadcasted through SETA’s social media outlet. Media will be informed about the event. Questions will be taken only in text format via chat module of the online access.