Tripoli, Libya – 31 August 2022
Within any given society, a child or a young person could commit an offence that is punishable by law under the respective legal system. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules) note that Member States are to develop conditions that will ensure the safety, rehabilitation and reintegration of the juvenile back into society and will support him/her in staying away from crime and delinquency. Social workers have an important role in creating such conditions as they assist the child from the moment of arrest, during inquiries, while spending time within relevant institutions, as they undertake rehabilitation activities and while reintegrating into society with follow up and support.
As part of the programme “Developing Juvenile Justice in Libya” funded by the European Union, UNODC trained fourteen social workers and representatives (six women and eight men) from the Libya’s Social Solidarity Fund (SSF) on the management, rehabilitation and reintegration of juveniles based on international norms and standards as well as best practices from the region.
The training was conducted for two days in Tripoli, Libya with social workers working with both juvenile girls and boys. The training aimed to increase the social workers’ awareness of international norms, standards and practices regarding the treatment of juveniles and included topics such as diversion and non-custodial measures, stages of rehabilitation for juveniles, authority and mandates regarding the management of juveniles and best practices from the region on juvenile rehabilitation and reintegration programmes.
This training was the first of a series of activities that aim to strengthen the capacity of staff working with juveniles in Libya to address their special needs, including the development of operational guidance materials for staff as well as rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for juveniles.
UNODC supports States to ensure access to justice for children by reducing recourse to deprivation of liberty, promoting child-sensitive investigation and court procedures, and recovery and reintegration. In this regard and within the framework of this project, which UNODC implements jointly with UNICEF and UNDP, UNODC is supporting the Libyan authorities to ensure child-friendly treatment for children in contact with the law, including those deprived of their liberty, within the framework of the UN Child Rights Convention (CRC) and other relevant international and national legal instruments.
