The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Mr. Gerardo Noto, and His Excellency, the United Kingdom (UK) Ambassador to Libya, Mr. Nicholas Hopton, signed an agreement by which the UK increases its contribution with approx. US$ 341,454 (GBP 250,000) to support UNDP’s ‘Promoting Elections for the People of Libya’ project, raising the total funds from UK to the project to $734,124.

Implemented in partnership with The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the project aims at strengthening the capacity of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) to organize the national elections foreseen on 24 December 2021, as it was decided by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Tunis in November 2020 and reiterated in Geneva in February 2021.

The agreement has been signed today at the Headquarters of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) in Tripoli in the presence of Dr. Emad Al-Sayah, HNEC Chairperson.

At the signing ceremony, Dr. Al-Sayah, stated: “that HNEC is ready to implement elections, underscoring the need for the legal framework established in time.”

Ambassador Hopton said: “The UK fully supports HNEC as it prepares for elections in December this year. The UNDP project provides invaluable assistance and expertise, and we’re proud to be increasing our financial support today.”

From his end, UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Noto, stated: “UNDP together with UNSMIL are fully supportive of HNEC to conduct national elections on 24 December 2021, continuing the assistance we have been providing to HNEC since 2012. We are thankful of the support of the international partners like UK on our assistance to HNEC.”

The UK is an important contributor of UNDP initiatives for peace and sustainable development in Libya ($7.7 million), and specifically of UNDP’s Stabilization Facility for Libya ($4.1 million). Concerning its support to national elections, together with European Union, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and France, the UK is making possible that since 2018, an integrated UN team of electoral experts of UNDP and UNSMIL is helping Libya’s HNEC to prepare for and deliver credible elections in Libya.

For more information, or media interviews please contact: hilaria.espin@undp.org