Libya committed to majority of HRC recommendations

Deputy Minister of Justice of Libya Wael Najem said that the majority of recommendations made by the Human Rights Council had been accepted, as they were exactly what Libya wanted after the revolution, except those which were in conflict with Islamic culture and customs. The official was addressing the council following its regular review of the Libyan dossier related to Human Rights and the final communique in this regard. The nature of the transitional period was such that the country had to wait a while before the recommendations could be implemented. The government planned to establish a number of bodies to review the recommendations after the Constitution was adopted, he said. Najem said in the new Libya, women were allowed to participate in the highest walks of life and the government was committed to further improving the situation of women. The role of young people who had sparked the revolution was not forgotten; they would be given the opportunity to attain the highest positions. People who had joined the revolution had not been hungry or poor; they had demanded their rights and freedoms and that was why the promotion and protection of human rights in the new Libya was the highest priority, he remarked. "Today Libya had a vibrant media and freedom of expression, with no censorship whatsoever. The government intended to call on the expertise of the human rights mechanisms to assist in reviewing and addressing the findings of the international Commission of Inquiry, which could save time and effort for the United Nations," he explained. He added that Libya had established a National Reconciliation Commission and asked for countries to cooperate in identifying perpetrators of violence. In closing, Libya appealed to the international community to release its frozen assets. Libya listed the recommendations that had been accepted; some had been rejected because they were incompatible with Islam. Recommendation number 23 was under scrutiny, and Libya would address it after the Constitution was adopted.