Reply of the Minister of Interior to the Commissioner’s letter regarding maritime operations in Libyan territorial waters, CommDH/GovRep(2017)15), 12 October 2017

The Minister of the Interior, Marco Minniti, in response to the Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, regarding maritime operations in Libyan territorial waters, noted that such activities aim at supporting the Libyan Coast Guard to reduce the flows migrants and the risk of accidents and shipwrecks. With regard to the specific concerns raised by the Commissioner, it is stressed the activities of the Italian authorities focused on the training, equipment and support of Libyan coastal personnel, with the aim of strengthening their operational autonomy that no rejections were made. By ensuring that no rejections were made in this context, the Minister affirmed that respect for human rights and international standards on migrants reception is constantly at the center of Italy’s dialogue with the Libyan authorities, as shown by the action plan on this matter adopted at the meeting of the Italian-Libyan Committee held on 15 September 2017.