The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Libya, in partnership with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), has organized a series of “Inclusive Constitution” workshops for candidates of the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA). The workshops were held at Corinthia hotel in Tripoli from 1st to 9th of February and reached over 55% of the 648 (64 women) CDA candidates, including 324 men and 39 women from all regions.
Offering training to all CDA candidates recognizes the critical role that they will all play in the constitution-making process, either as elected members of the CDA or as instrumental civil society leaders.
UNDP Country Director, Mr. Eric Overvest, emphasized that “the constitution is the framework of the social contract between Libya and its people with the ultimate aim to provide the political stability and social justice.” He highlighted the importance of supporting both the CDA and civil society in their engagement in the constitution-making process. Public participation in the process is critical to ensure the ownership and inclusiveness of the new constitution which is why all of the candidates are important.
The “Inclusive Constitution” workshops were facilitated by constitutional experts from several countries in the Arab Region, who provided theoretical concepts as well as examples and case studies of constitution-making processes from other countries. Mrs. Khadigja Mohammed, a CDA candidate from Benghazi, noted that the coming few months Libya will witness a paramount event in its history.
