LANA hosts a dialogue with the UNSMIL.

Tripoli, July 10, 2025 (LANA) - The Libyan News Agency (LANA) hosted a dialogue today, Thursday, at its headquarters in Tripoli, organized by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), in cooperation with the agency, on the UN annual results report for Libya 2024. The dialogue was attended by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Libya, Ines Choma.

The dialogue also included the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Sophie Kimkhedhra; the Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Mohamed Fayyadhi; the Representative of the United Nations Women for Libya and Tunisia, Florence Basti; and the Deputy Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Tawhid Pasha, in addition to a number of Libyan journalists and local and international media outlets.

At the opening of the dialogue, moderated by the Director of the UNSMIL's Communications and Media Office, Mohammed Al-Asadi, in the presence of a group of journalists, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Libyan News Agency (LANA), Abdul Basit Abu Dayia, emphasized that the role and work of the United Nations and its agencies in Libya are not new, but date back to the beginning of independence. However, its role in the Libyan scene, and the current state of the country, is a matter of anticipation, high hopes, frustrations, and responsibilities.

Abu Dayia praised the mission's initiative and its keenness to hold this dialogue and communicate with Libyan media professionals and journalists at the headquarters of a Libyan press institution to present its 2024 report, which includes the projects and programs undertaken by its agencies, agencies, and specialized funds to support national institutions in the areas of development, services, infrastructure, and other areas.

He added that LANA, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, and as one of the oldest media institutions in Libya, sees the importance of cooperating with the UN mission and various specialized organizations to inform the Libyan public, which is wondering about the development projects to which the United Nations has contributed in Libya, especially since his country is a member of the United Nations and contributes effectively and regularly to all UN organizations.

He continued that this dialogue highlights the projects completed by the United Nations through its specialized organizations based in Libya, which are included in the annual results report for 2024. This will be the basis for the dialogue between UN leaders and media representatives operating in Libya.

In his presentation of the 2024 UN Results Report for Libya, Inis Choma, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, emphasized that the Mission's close partnership with Libyan authorities and local partners over the past year has yielded significant achievements, including providing support for the successful elections in 58 municipalities, enhancing the economic skills of more than 10,000 people, launching more than 140 startups in nine municipalities, and providing technical and financial support to 70 small and medium enterprises.

Choma continued, the Mission has implemented integrated programs to promote social development and human capital, including the government's adoption of the One Health initiative in eight municipalities and the development of a roadmap for digital transformation in the health sector.

Choma added that the mission and various specialized organizations have worked to support Libya's efforts in the areas of climate change, environmental protection, and water management. They have cooperated with the Libyan government on several initiatives, including the preparation of a national sustainable energy strategy, as well as supporting the Libyan authorities' efforts to ensure the integration of displaced persons and provide access to education, renewable energy, and public facilities for more than 300,000 internally displaced persons.

Regarding the issue of illegal migration, he emphasized that the mission has committed to providing assistance to migrants through the Comprehensive Response Plan for Sudanese migrants.

In concluding his remarks, he expressed his gratitude to the Libyan authorities for their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2023-2026) and to promoting peace for all Libyans.

Representatives of specialized organizations based in Libya spoke at the dialogue about projects on which their organizations have collaborated with Libyan authorities and local partners, focusing on the areas of sustainable development, strengthening community resilience, skills development, economic transformation, and assisting job seekers with employers based on the skills required in the Libyan market.

They also focused on projects related to climate change, the environment, water, the impacts of rising temperatures, renewable energy, children's rights, education support, teacher training in modern skills, and managing migration for the benefit of all, given that Libya is a Mediterranean route for illegal migration due to its geographical location. Border management and protection, combating human trafficking and organized crime, strengthening infrastructure, empowering women, and ensuring equitable access to health services for all, were also discussed.

During the dialogue, several questions were raised by journalists, which contributed to stimulating discussion about the projects included in the 2024 Annual Results Report.

The questions focused on the mission's contributions and specialized organizations to strategic projects such as education, health, environmental protection, water management, and various infrastructure projects, in addition to women's empowerment, child rights protection, and the thorny issue of illegal migration.

=Lana=