Libya’s ungoverned spaces and escalating civil war in focus of OSCE-supported workshop in London

A workshop on a multilateral approach to Libya and ungoverned territories in the Mediterranean region, hosted  by the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Istituto Affari Internazionali (International Affairs Institute), as part of the New Med network, supported by the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, in co-operation with the OSCE, took place on 13 May 2015, in London.

Leading Libyan and regional experts, high-level officials and representatives of the international community, discussed dynamics and policy options, as UN-mediated talks to solve the internal crisis enter their final and critical stage.

The workshop also provided a forum for discussing strategies to counter the many negative regional spillovers of the Libyan conflict, including the resulting humanitarian crisis, as well as rising energy insecurity and the spread of terrorist organizations including the self-proclaimed “Islamic State”.

The New Med network of experts, established in 2014, is analysing the situation in Libya and evolving regional influences in order to assess how multilateral support for the country’s security could look when Libya restores internal security. The network provides forward-looking and complementary input to the discussions about Libya taking place within the OSCE, thus supporting and expanding the political dialogue.  

Libya has applied to become an OSCE Partner for Co-operation in 2013.