Libya - Nicosia Initiative 

 Why the European Committee of the Regions is working with Libyan cities 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Since 2015, the European Committee of the Regions has developed a close political and, increasingly, a very practical relationship with Libyan cities. The relationship has the twin aims of helping to improve public services in Libya and of helping Libyan cities to enter the international community. The cooperation is a response to the political turmoil and insecurity that Libya has been experiencing since 2011, which has eroded municipal services in Libya and kept Libyan cities isolated internationally. ​​​​

Inhoud

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At the request of Libyan municipalities, the European Committee of the Regions has been mobilising partnerships for Libya's local authorities since January 2016. The CoR is matching the requests of Libyan cities with offers of expertise from EU cities and regions. The purpose is to improve the lives of ordinary Libyans, by helping municipalities provide better services in areas ranging from primary health care to waste management. The initiative is also a bottom-up contribution – through city diplomacy – to the stabilisation of Libya.
 
In 2021, the Nicosia Initiative entered a new phase with new initiatives to build capacities for local authority politicians and civil servants and foster local social economic and institutional development. With funding by the European Commission, the projects Research and Education Building Urban Institutions for Local Development [REBUILD] and Towards A new Multilevel Shared Approach for Libya Local governance [TAMSALL], will enable continued cooperation among EU and Libyan partners for the coming years and try contributing to support further improvement in living conditions of local populations. This marks a shift from incremental to more structural support for the Nicosia Initiative.
 
The Nicosia Initiative is a bottom-up process that responds to the needs of one of the EU's closest and most fragile neighbours. The CoR's involvement reflects the belief that city diplomacy and peer-to-peer diplomacy can make a key contribution to addressing long-term international challenges in a sustainable way. It is also in line with the EU's global strategy and the conviction that the EU should think globally and act locally.


With whom is the CoR working?​

Libyan cities participating in the Nicosia initiative include:

  • Tripoli (estimated population: 1.1 million)
  • Benghazi (estimated population: 630,000) 
  • Ghariyan (190,000)
  • Tobruk (120,000)
  • Sabha (97,000)
  • Sirte (80,000)
  • Zintan (82,000)
  • Zliten (270,000)

The selection of municipalities was based on criteria such as the Mayors' availability to overcome existing differences and work together, inclusion of all regions of the country, the potential of municipalities to reach out to a wider number of neighbouring territories, and their capacity and availability to establish cooperation partnerships with international partners.
 
The mayor of Tripoli, Abdelrauf Beitelmal, and the mayor of Zintan, Mustafa Abdullah al-Baruni, are representing Libyan mayors, as observers in the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM). Most European members of ARLEM, which brings together politicians and political representatives from the EU and the Mediterranean region, are members of the CoR.
 
The CoR serves as the secretariat of the Nicosia initiative.​


How is the CoR supporting Libyan cities?

As a political assembly, the CoR aims to help Libyan cities join the international community and benefit from mutually beneficial partnerships with EU cities and regions that contribute to fostering sustainable territorial development.
 
Since 2011, Libya has suffered at the national level from political turmoil, Even though recent progress has been made, including the installation of an interim government and parliamentary elections foreseen for the end of 2021, the security and political situation remains fragile. The crisis has affected the health, schooling, livelihoods, and prospects of Libyans across the country. In this challenging situation, many local authorities have managed to sustain basic services enjoy an electoral mandate and robust popular legitimacy. Throughout the crisis, they have succeeded in providing a certain level stability for their populations.
 
The CoR therefore concluded that support for Libya's cities and regions was one promising way in which the EU could help Libya. The EU's cities and regions had already shown that they have the political experience, institutional capacity and technical skills to support counterparts around the world. Through the Nicosia initiative, the CoR seeks to catalyse support for Libya in areas identified as critical by Libya's local administrations.


What kind of support do Libyan cities need?

EU regions and cities have provided or pledged support in the following areas:

  • Water management and waste water management: Murcia (ES)
  • Waste management: Antwerp (BE)
  • Primary health care: Vila Real (PT)
  • Public administration: Nicosia (CY)
  • English-language training: Maltese local authorities (MT)
  • Financial administration and transparency: Flanders (BE)
  • Positive peace training for young Libyans: Málaga (ES), Sligo (IE), Northern Ireland Local Government Association (UK)
  • Fisheries, in particular fish certification: Friuli Venezia Giulia (IT)
  • Fisheries, fish processing and aquaculture: Galicia (ES)

During study visits to the EU, Libyan experts have made on-site visits to operational facilities, participated in workshops, debates and training activities, and initiated longer-term cooperation actions with EU regions and cities.

The CoR is currently working on:

  • matching requests and offers in existing areas of cooperation, as well as in additional areas such as vocational training and local economic development.
  • further strengthening the capacity of Libyan municipality staff and Libyan universities in priority areas, in order to equip the universities with the necessary tools to provide tailor-made training locally.
  • encouraging the development of additional full-scale projects involving Libyan and EU LRAs. 

Timeline of the relationship

2015

  • July 2015: Delegation from of five Libyan mayors visit the Committee of the Regions in Brussels
  • October 2015: The Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) invites Mayor Beitelmal to Brussels as an observer at is commission on sustainable development

2016

  • January 2016: A delegation of Libyan mayors is invited to Nicosia, Cyprus, to attend ARLEM's annual plenary meeting as an observer. Mayor Beitelmal presents a letter with request for support in six areas. ARLEM responds by launching the 'Nicosia initiative'
  • May 2016: The first result of the CoR's match-making effort is a study visit on water management, organised and hosted by the Region of Murcia
  • June 2016: Study visit co-organised with Antwerp City focusing on waste management
  • July 2016: A delegation of Libyan mayors met Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. The meeting in Brussels comes during a study visit on waste management, organised and hosted by the City of Antwerp
  • September 2016: The study visit co-organised with the Municipality of Vila Real, Portugal, aiming at exchanging good practices in the sector of primary health
  • September - October 2016: Training sessions co-organised with Nicosia Municipality, Cyprus, in areas such as management of human resources, administrative control or reconversion of historical sites

2017

  • February 2017: Exchange co-organised by the government of Flanders on financial management and transparency
  • March 2017: Field workshop and study visit to Tozeur, Tunisia, in view of determining the best technology for installing organic waste Compost Units in 6 Libyan municipalities.
  • April 2017: Pilot training for 20 young opinion leaders in Positive peace, co-organised with UNICEF and the Institute for Economics and Peace
  • May 2017: First meeting of the Network of schools of public administration for Libya with Libyan Universities and Municipalities. The aim of the meeting was to provide a first assessment of the needs of the Libyan municipalities and to explore various ways in which Universities could assist them in capacity building
  • June 2017: A study exchange organized by the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy, focusing on fishery and fishery cooperatives
  • October 2017: International seminar on Urban strategies, tools and technologies in the era of sustainability in Sfax City
  • November 2017: First block of 3 schools modules on pressing issues for representatives of Libyan Local and Regional Authorities
  • November 2017: 2 days training / coaching for local researchers in Tunisia on transparency and good governance
  • November/December 2017: Training of 100 hours for 20 Libyan technicians in waste water treatment and reuse for irrigation

2018

  • February 2018: Second block of 3 schools modules on pressing issues for representatives of Libyan Local and Regional Authorities
  • March-April 2018: Training for 180 young opinion leaders in Positive peace, co-organised with UNICEF and the Institute for Economics and Peace
  • March-Jun 2018: Provision of insulin to municipal health centres of the Nicosia Initiative municipalities
  • May 2018: PATH-DEV project workshop to prepare Terms of Reference for Fishery sector assessment in Libya
  • September-October 2018: Third workshop for representatives of Libyan Local and Regional Authorities
  • November 2018: Nicosia Initiative Focal Points Coordination meeting

2019

  • February 2019: Participation of the Mayors of Tripoli and Benghazi in the Forum "Cities and Regions for Development Cooperation
  • February 2019: "Friends of the Nicosia Initiative" meeting held in the margins of the 10th ARLEM plenary session
  • April 2019: PATH-DEV project closing meeting of the first phase
  • July 2019: Study visit on fisheries to the Region of Galicia, Spain

2021:

  • January 2121: Start of the 33-months TAMSALL project (Multilevel Shared Approach for Libya Local governance) aiming at strengthening the institutional and administrative capacity according to a multi-level governance process.

April 2021: Start of the 48-months REBUILD project ( Research and Education Building Urban Institutions for Local Development) focusing on the extension of the continuous learning programme already developed under the Nicosia Initiative.This initiative by the Committee of the Regions would not be possible without the financial and political support of the European External Action Service and of the European Commission's DG NEAR (Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations), via the EU Public Administration Facility for Libya. Other partners who have contributed funding include the Region of Flanders, the Italian Government, and the European Endowment for Peace. 

The Union for the Mediterranean, which brings together the 28 member states of the EU and 15 Mediterranean states, has also provided strong political support. Libya is not a member of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Olivér Várhelyi, the EU's Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement described Libya as now being at a turning point. It is important to continue working with local authorities to help improve their public service delivery capacities and foster stabilisation in the country. The Commission is committed to further supporting the Nicosia Initiative.​​



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