H.E. French Ambassador to Libya, Ms. Béatrice Le Fraper du Hellen and The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director, Mr. Sultan Hajiyev, signed a new agreement today to increase France’s contribution to the UN electoral project “Promoting Elections for the People of Libya (PEPOL)” by €650,000. This extra support comes in addition to the €200,000 signed in December 2017, bringing the total French contribution to €850,000 ($1 million).

In a ceremony that took place in Tripoli, Ambassador Ms. Le Fraper du Hellen stated:

“Libyan citizens have clearly expressed their wish to define the future of their country through democratic process. I am awed by their determination. With this contribution, France is keen to assist in the preparation of upcoming elections. We thank UNDP for their commitment to work with the people of Libya and for the people of Libya”.

For his part, UNDP Country Director, Mr. Hajiyev, emphasized:

“UNDP continues to deliver key support to its Libyan counterparts despite the multiple challenges faced in a complex operational environment. We are grateful to our French partners for their valuable and timely contribution as it will enable UNDP to further reinforce its assistance to Libya applying best practices in electoral systems and bolstering the country’s capacities to fulfill democratic aspirations of its citizens’.

PEPOL is a three-year project aimed at supporting the High National Electoral Commission to develop its capacity to prepare and hold national elections, promote public participation and plan a transparent electoral process. So far, the European Union, Germany, the Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Italy fund the initiative implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).