The Libyan "4+4" committee is one of the most prominent mechanisms for mini-political and military dialogue sponsored by the United Nations to overcome the political impasse that the country has witnessed.
The committee was formed equally between the political and military components in eastern and western Libya, with the aim of formulating a consensual road map that would end the institutional crisis and prepare the ground for holding national elections.
First: establishment and structure
Nature of the committee: A mini-dialogue committee consisting of 8 members who equally represent the two main camps in the Libyan crisis.
Western Libya delegation: representing the Government of National Unity and its allied components, and headed by Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs Walid Al-Lafi.
Eastern Libyan delegation: representing the General Command of the Armed Forces, the House of Representatives, and their allied components, and was headed by Al-Shaibani Abu Hamoud.
Negotiating path: The committee held 7 rounds of intensive talks over a period of 8 months, the first of which began in the Italian capital, Rome, then moved to Tunisia, where the draft was initialed, all the way to Tripoli.
Second: Tripoli Agreement (August 2026)
The committee culminated its work with the signing of the final agreement document on August 30, 2026, at the headquarters of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya in the capital, Tripoli, under the auspices of the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Hannah Tetteh. The agreement came under the name “Agreement of the Parties Participating in the Mini-Meeting on the Implementation of the Political Road Map Facilitated by the United Nations.”
Third: Outputs and main items
The signed document included a package of decisions aimed at resolving the constitutional and electoral crisis within a time limit not exceeding 24 months, its most prominent provisions:
Restructuring the High Electoral Commission:
Nominating a new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the High National Elections Commission.
The six members of the Commission’s Board of Directors shall be approved equally by consensus between the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of State.
Terms and regulations for the presidential elections:
Adopting Law No. 28 of 2023 issued by the House of Representatives as a legislative basis for the presidential elections.
Allowing dual nationalities to run for president, provided that the winner of the position renounces his non-Libyan nationality before taking the constitutional oath.
Allowing military personnel to run in the presidential race.
Parliamentary election controls:
Adopting Law No. 10 of 2014 as a legislative basis for legislative elections.
Adopting an individual voting system in electoral districts, while allowing political parties to participate by nominating individuals to represent them and not through closed party lists.
Fourth: Political positions and responses
The agreement witnessed a division in positions between the Libyan and international parties:
Supporters: The agreement received the support and support of the Prime Minister of the National Unity Government, Abdel Hamid Al-Dabaiba, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, the Commander of the General Command, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and the Prime Minister-designate in the East, Osama Hammad. The agreement was also widely welcomed internationally by the UN Security Council, the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States.
Reservations and opponents: President of the Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Manfi, expressed reservations about the implementation mechanisms. Meanwhile, the head of the Supreme Council of State, Muhammad Takala, announced his rejection of the agreement, and the Council canceled the membership of its representatives in the committee (Al-Shawish and Abdel Aziz) in protest against its outcomes. The agreement was also opposed by a parliamentary bloc of about 44 deputies who criticized the role of the Commission and the UN mission.
Fifth: Challenges and future paths
The UN mission set a deadline of one month, ending at the end of September 2026, for the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of State to officially ratify the agreement and incorporate it legally. The committee’s outputs face a legal challenge related to the extent to which a small committee has the authority to conclude alternative agreements to official legislative institutions, while regional diplomatic efforts are being made, especially by Turkey, to bring views closer between the heads of the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of State to overcome the current obstacles.
