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November 2023
USAID Advances Renewable Energy in Libya
 Electricity sector stakeholders participated in a two-day workshop to assess progress on key objectives.
Amidst rising global energy demand and the urgent need to cut back on harmful fossil fuel emissions, Libya adopted its national renewable energy strategy in October. The strategy, the first in the country’s history, was developed by the Ministry of Planning, the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL), and the Renewable Energy Authority of Libya (REAOL), with significant support from the USAID Libya Public Financial Management program. These organizations met in Tunis in early November for a two-day workshop organized by USAID to assess progress on the key objectives of the strategy and plan for future activities.
“Our partnership (with USAID) has opened new horizons towards achieving sustainability and energy renaissance in Libya. We look forward to the continuation of this rich and constructive cooperation, stressing that this partnership is only the beginning of a long process of joint work towards a sustainable future that elevates our beloved country, Libya, to the highest ranks in the field of renewable energies,” said Mr. Aseel Roteima, REAOL Board Member.
Under the new strategy Libya will source a minimum of 20 percent of its national electricity consumption from renewables by 2035, a shift that will begin to move the country away from total oil dependency. As electricity demand in Libya has increased in recent years, government subsidies for electricity generation have too, accounting for 30 percent of government spending annually. Consequently, the transition to renewable energy is not just a leap towards sustainable energy conservation, but also a strategic economic move for sustainable growth.
The strategy has three concurrent phases of implementation - 1) energy diversification; 2) encouraging investment in the sector, including support for startup companies and incentives for organizations seeking to develop the electricity sector; 3) improving energy efficiency and reducing waste through public education.
With USAID support, Libya will not only diversify its energy use to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but it will also create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and enhance energy security - leading to a more stable and sustainable future for future generations.
Battling Breast Cancer with Education
 Women and girls attend an awareness session on breast cancer organized by the Tawergha Youth Club.
In a country like Libya where healthcare has been weakened from years of conflict and cultural beliefs affect women’s willingness to undergo preventative screenings, breast cancer education and prevention can be particularly challenging.
As the world recognized Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, USAID supported the Tawergha Youth Club to host an education event at the Women Space in Tawergha’s Cultural Center. Led by a female doctor, 30 girls and women learned about breast cancer causes, risk factors, prevention methods, and the importance of early detection. Women impacted by cancer gave personal testimonies about the importance of regular self-examination and seeking prompt medical care.
Through active youth clubs in five Libyan communities, USAID is encouraging community engagement on a variety of topics from peace building and community reconciliation, to issues that often carry stigma like healthcare. These activities forge stronger bonds and encourage youth to become advocates for underrepresented voices in their communities.
Youth in Gharyan Support Recycling in Schools
Gharyan, a town in the mountainous part of western Libya, has limited space to manage waste. Because of the rocky soil, landfills are located at the base of the mountain close to reservoirs, presenting the risk of contaminating the town’s water. Additionally, high winds often blow waste from collection sites into the streets and yards of homes. This has resulted in citizen frustration and resentment that is often directed toward the municipality for its challenges managing the waste problem.
Through the Amal Foundation for Family Support, USAID’s Taqarib activity is partnering with eight elementary schools and the Municipality of Gharyan to implement a recycling and public waste management education campaign in Gharyan to help reduce the amount of waste going into landfills.
In October, the foundation hosted its first activity, a two-day training-of-trainers workshop titled “My Environment, My Identity,” with 20 participants from the Gharyan Office for Environment, the Education Department, and local school teachers.
The Amal Foundation engaged children from eight secondary schools in Gharyan to assemble 21 recycling and waste bins, then taught students how and why to separate recyclable waste to protect the environment and reduce pollution.
By engaging young people in recycling, USAID is creating a generation of Libyans that are better informed about environmental issues, while also assisting the municipality to address the waste management challenges.
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Tawergha Peace Project Benefits the Community
Volunteers refurbish the Tawergha community center as part of the Peace Project.
After years of conflict, the city of Tawergha has few undamaged places for the community to gather. The Tawergha Youth Group, part of the USAID Play for Peace activity, decided to change that. The Youth Group contacted the municipal council with an idea for refurbishing the local community center and after multiple coordination meetings, they launched the Peace Project in early October. The event brought together representatives from the Paralympic Committee for Disabled Sports, Tawergha Youth Office and Youth Council, Scouts and Guides groups, Civil Society Commission Office, and local civil society organizations.
The center features a multi-sport court for football, handball and volleyball, as well as a children's play area, and vibrant mural paintings symbolizing the role of youth in promoting peace and harmony.
Volunteers cleaned up the community center’s main recreation area and painted the playground. They have future plans to refurbish the sports court. When completed, the renovation will ensure that the dedicated sports and recreation space is ready for everyone in the community to enjoy.
USAID encourages civic engagement by promoting youth participation with municipal councils. Through this activity, the Tawergha Youth Group is not only making its voice heard in prioritization of local resources, but is also encouraging volunteerism, strengthening social cohesion, and promoting peace.
Improving Voter Engagement with Video
Video comprises the vast majority of all internet traffic in Libya and receives much higher engagement rates on social media platforms than text or images alone. Video allows for immersive storytelling that conveys emotions and messages more effectively. This makes video a vital tool for Libya’s High National Election Commission (HNEC) as it works to educate and register voters for municipal elections in April of 2024.
USAID recently trained HNEC headquarters and field staff on techniques for planning new video projects, video composition, shooting, editing, and the principles of storytelling. Participants even created a video about the training to highlight their new skills.
One participant said, “Learning the fundamentals of videography showed me I was not doing my work as I should have been. The training taught me a lot and I wish I had had it sooner.”
With these new skills, the HNEC Outreach Department professionals will be empowered to create strong digital media and grow HNEC’s social media engagement, resulting in a better educated electorate and a more transparent and credible electoral process.
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Central Bank of Libya Adopts Risk-based Approach
 Central Bank of Libya
The Central Bank of Libya (CBL) successfully completed its first on-site supervision inspections of two Libyan banks using a sophisticated risk-based approach developed with support from USAID’s Libya Public Financial Management (LPFM) activity. The inspections represent a major milestone in building a robust financial monitoring and compliance apparatus that aligns CBL with international best practices.
Banking supervision inspections are designed to prevent commercial banks from failing. These inspections are critical in averting the devastating economic impact that results from bank failures.
Traditional bank inspections are time-consuming, often taking more than a month. By contrast, the risk-based approach developed by USAID, takes about one week. Inspectors identify risks when analyzing a bank’s data that has been previously submitted electronically, then develop their onsite inspection plans to look specifically at information related to those risks.
“You know what information you need from the bank before the onsite inspection. You save a lot of time, it is much more efficient,”explained Ibrahim Al Karasneh, Senior Bank Supervision Advisor, USAID/LPFM. “The risk-based approach allows the CBL to be proactive in addressing pitfalls.”
With USAID support, the CBL is strengthening its role in stabilizing the Libyan economy, combating corruption, and fostering public trust in the banking sector.
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