Of all the upheavals in the Middle East, the Libyan uprising has been among the more violent and devastating. The removal of Libya's erstwhile dictator and the triumph of the rebel forces, supported by Operation Unified Protector, have provided the Libyan people with the clearest cut to its previous regime that the Arab Spring has yet produced. Yet, Libya is now facing a different sort of challenge: realising the promise of democratic government and personal freedom in an environment where the state's control over the country is incomplete at best. Now that the first elections have been a success, one of the primary concerns Libya faces is the drafting of the final constitution. The 200 parliamentarians elected on July 7th 2012 are now responsible for appointing the 60-member body that will draft the constitution, a process that requires the entrenchment of rule of law and human rights, whilst maintain a healthily open consultation process. Further crucial priorities are security sector reform, where the international community plays a key role, strengthening the rule of law through establishing clearer communication channels and defined roles between different ministries, and continuing the process of state-building and drawing a line under the past through transitional justice programmes that meet the needs of Libyan society.
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