DeepSummary
In the second part of this podcast episode, Akwe Omosu interviews Ilham Saudi, a Libyan human rights lawyer who was part of the UN-convened Libya Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) aimed at facilitating a political deal and transition in Libya. Saudi discusses her role as a civil society representative in the LPDF and her efforts to ensure a human rights-based approach in the process.
Saudi expresses disappointment with the UN's approach, which she believes prioritized political expediency over human rights and accountability. She gives examples of how the UN's draft documents lacked provisions for vetting out individuals implicated in war crimes or human rights violations, leading to the inclusion of such individuals in the interim government and presidential elections.
Saudi also criticizes the Security Council for failing to hold its own members accountable for violating the arms embargo and supporting actors involved in the Libyan conflict. She highlights the challenges of multilateralism when individual countries prioritize their own interests over a unified approach.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Ilham Saudi, a Libyan human rights lawyer, participated in the UN-led Libya Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) as a civil society representative, aiming to ensure a human rights-based approach.
- Saudi criticized the UN for prioritizing political expediency over human rights and accountability, leading to the inclusion of individuals implicated in war crimes and human rights violations in the interim government and presidential elections.
- The Security Council failed to hold its own members accountable for violating the arms embargo and supporting actors involved in the Libyan conflict, undermining multilateralism.
- Saudi confronted the Security Council members about their involvement in human rights violations in Libya, highlighting the potential threats to civil society from powerful countries with advanced surveillance capabilities.
- The UN's approach lacked practical concern for the safety and well-being of civil society representatives, particularly in dealing with powerful actors with advanced surveillance capabilities.
- Saudi's experience highlights the challenges of balancing political realities with human rights principles in international mediation efforts and the need for greater accountability and transparency.
- Civil society representatives face significant challenges and potential risks in advocating for human rights and accountability in complex political situations, particularly when dealing with powerful actors with conflicting interests.
- The episode underscores the importance of a genuine commitment to human rights and rule of law in conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes, rather than prioritizing political expediency.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I think the UN, I can only comment into their interaction in Libya, has been very led by a perceived notion of political expediency. We need to get this deal done. What is the most practical way we can do it? How can we appease the spoilers so that we have a peace, and how do we ensure that there is no more fighting? And their perception of that is you provide carrots constantly to the spoilers to do that. Whereas what I would consider a correct approach, or one that is based on upholding the rule of law or promoting human rights, is to be able to put accountability measures on people who are allowed to become involved in a peace process, or having vetting standards, or not rewarding the spoilers, but perhaps excluding them from the process.“ by Ilham Saudi
- “And I was just going, this is not helping because it was sort of literally buzzing on my wrist as I was trying to make this really poignant moment of looking straight at the Russians in the UAE and saying, you know, some international actors have been implicated in human rights violations and war crimes in Libya, but I was undermined a little bit by my accessory choice.“ by Ilham Saudi
- “And many of the leaders and that are in that room, and you guys are not even thinking about that when you're preparing civil society to what that means when you sit in a room with the Russians, the UAE, who have some of the best technology for this, and I think those are the things that let you down when you're dealing with the UN, is that they talk about human rights, they talk about civil society, they talk about all of this. But when they come to the practical steps, there is zero really proper concern and planning for what could happen as a result of this and what their role really is.“ by Ilham Saudi
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Episode Information
Strength & Solidarity
Strength & Solidarity
4/25/22
In this second part of our episode featuring Libyan human rights lawyer Elham Saudi, we get an up-close look at international mediation efforts to broker an agreement between rival political actors and establish a stable democratic government in Libya. As a civil society representative in the UN-convened Libya Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), Elham has a ringside seat from which to observe the compromises being made to cobble together an agreement - and she’s not too impressed.
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