Libya Calls for International Cooperation to Combat Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling.

New York, 7 October 2026 (Lana): Libya reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the UN and to the international human rights framework in all its civil, political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions, foremost among them the right to development, stressing the importance of integrating peace and security with sustainable development to build inclusive and stable societies.

This was stated in a statement delivered by First Secretary Ahmed Al-Draidi at Libya’s Permanent Mission to the UN, during the proceedings of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, which deals with social, humanitarian, and cultural affairs, at the 81st session of the General Assembly, held at the UN headquarters in New York.

The statement reviewed national efforts to implement the National Youth Strategy in cooperation with the UN system, develop national mechanisms to empower women and enhance their participation in political and economic life and decision-making, as well as integrate elderly and individuals with disabilities into social protection systems.

The statement also highlighted the joint plan with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to protect children, as well as preparations for the second phase of the National Plan to Combat Child Labor.

Libya renewed its call on the international community to strengthen regional and international cooperation in combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and to dismantle transnational criminal networks, with a focus on building national capacities and protecting victims through a human rights-based approach.

It also reaffirmed its constructive engagement with UN mechanisms, foremost among them the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, in accordance with the principles of national sovereignty, objectivity, and non-selectivity, noting its continued support for transitional justice and national reconciliation processes to strengthen the rule of law and judicial independence.

Libya called for firm international action to address the rising spread of hate speech, incitement, and religious intolerance in the digital space, and rejected all forms of discrimination in a manner that respects the cultural and religious specificities of peoples around the world.

Libya concluded its statement by reaffirming its historic and steadfast position in support of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al-Sharif) as its capital, while stressing the need to provide full financial and political support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to ensure the continuation of its humanitarian mission.

=Lana=