Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (S/2012/129)

• Most of the references to women in the report discuss ensuring that women play a role in the future of Libya. In paras 17, 19, and 21, the Secretary-General discusses women and the draft electoral law in Libya.

• In para 17, the Secretary-General notes that women demonstrated and submitted petitions for the inclusion of temporary special measures for women in the election law.

• The Secretary-General notes, in para 19, that the new draft law is a mixed system in which 80 of the 200 seats are elected through proportional representation. These proportional lists are a zipper list where women must be listed as every other candidate to ensure their representation in Libya’s government.

• In para 21, the Secretary-General notes that UNSMIL was an advisor on the draft law to provide comments from the perspectives of human rights, transitional justice and women’s empowerment.

• Para 62 is an in-depth discussion of one of the key normative imperatives of the mission: the empowerment of women and the implementation of the Security Council’s resolutions on women and peace and security. Noting the importance for Libyan authorities to ensure women’s full representation in political decision-making and across government institutions, the Secretary-General discusses participation in elections, including their standing for office, and in constitutional processes; women’s engagement in the transitional justice and reconciliation processes, including the aspects relating to missing persons; gender sensitive security sector reform; and the strengthening of national and civil society capacities to safeguard women’s rights and investigate violations.

Analysis provided by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, of which WILPF is a member.