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With the U.N.s special representative of the secretary-general for Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, recently announcing a new initiative to hold elections, it is critical to consider the undercurrents beyond electoral processes that must be navigated, the roles of national Libyan institutions in mitigating the countrys intense polarization, and how the international community can help.

The complexity of Libyas conflict with rival governments in the east and west, various players jockeying for power and a host of foreign actors interfering has resulted in everchanging fault lines and flash points for violence. The U.N.-backed Government of National Accord based in Tripoli (the west) and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (the east) both grapple with the limits of power in a country with divided governance and struggle to execute the basic functions of a state.

These broader national tensions are exacerbated by regional and local conflicts among various tribes and armed groups and narratives of marginalization especially in the countrys southern Fezzan region that foster grievances and resentment. This convoluted interplay generates a self-perpetuating cycle of conflict and violence.

What makes this worse is the role of the numerous foreign powers who interfere in Libya to advance their own interests. The relentless involvement of countries like Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and France in supporting various factions has transformed the conflict into a convoluted proxy war. These powers driven by strategic, economic and geopolitical motivations exacerbate the situation by supplying weapons, financial aid and even mercenaries to their respective Libyan allies. As a result, the quest for peace and stability has become ever more elusive, leaving the Libyan people to bear the brunt of a conflict that seems to have no end in sight.

These are issues that elections no matter how credible and transparent cannot overcome alone. Libyas rival factions need to come together and agree on a political settlement that addresses the root causes of the conflict. This settlement should provide a framework for the division of power and resources and a plan for decentralizing power. Promoting reconciliation to redress grievances and injustices is also imperative. These are processes that will take time, concerted effort and political will. To even begin to set Libya on a path to a peaceful and stable future, it is vital to build trust among Libyans and enhance the legitimacy of national institutions.

The U.N.-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum which was launched in 2020 and brings together key Libyan representatives from across Libyan society mandated in February 2021 that Libyas Presidential Council oversee vital national reconciliation efforts. Established under the Libyan Political Agreement in 2015, the Presidential Council serves as Libya's head of state, led by a chairman and two vice-chairmen representing Libyas three historical regions.

In February 2023, the Presidential Council convened a national dialogue with over 80 representatives from diverse Libyan factions. They identified five issues that must be addressed to achieve national reconciliation: identity, security, transitional justice, decentralization and local governance. The deputy head of Libyas Presidential Council, Abdullah Al-Lafi, has said that this effort can complement the U.N.s latest elections plan and U.N. Special Representative Bathily has expressed his support for the Libyan-led endeavor.

At the request of the Presidential Council, Libyas National Planning Council (NPC) has played an instrumental role in designing the national dialogue. Beginning in 2018, the NPC spearheaded reunification efforts for state institutions divided since 2014 between the east and west. Its achievements include the reunification of the Audit Bureau and Libyan Airlines, among other national institutions.

These efforts to reunite divided institutions emphasized that reunification hinges on reform and a substantial conversation about decentralization. Decentralization-focused discussions are especially critical to the national reconciliation process, and their importance to the reunification efforts offers a window into how Libyas governance system can be reformed to align institutions with international norms and adapt their mandates to satisfy Libyan expectations.

Given the technical complexities of decentralizing governance and devolving it to subnational bodies, national institutions that understand the intricacies and necessary mechanisms should be entrusted with this process. These institutions will create and refine a national vision, which will subsequently be presented to the Libyan people for their input and evaluation. In this way, both reconciliation and decentralization work together in a complementary fashion, with the NPC playing a pivotal role in bridging the two tracks.

While the Presidential Councils and the NPC's initiatives are promising, they reveal structural weaknesses that require international support. The primary shortcomings stem from inadequacies in the design of the procedures. For instance, it is imperative to devote more attention to establishing a strong participant selection criterion, promoting inclusiveness for local communities and effectively connecting local and national processes. Additionally, there are areas for improvement in strategic communications and related aspects.

To bolster these efforts and the capacities of the Presidential Council and the NPC, the international community must marshal expertise and provide technical assistance, without compromising the Libyan-owned processes. This support should aim to strengthen national institutions, foster dialogue and cooperation among rival factions, and advance initiatives that tackle the conflict's root causes.

Ending Libya's political impasse requires a holistic strategy, of which elections are only one component. Tackling underlying conflict drivers and bolstering the Presidential Councils and the NPC's efforts to overcome polarization are critical steps toward achieving a durable peace. The international community can play a pivotal role by providing resources and expertise. In the end, though, Libyans themselves will have to forge a path to peace.

Mehdi Bchir is the country director for the U.S. Institute of Peace in Libya.

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Beyond Elections: Libya Needs Unified Institutions and Reconciliation - United States Institute of Peace

Step 1: Evaluate the trade-offs between centralized, decentralized and hybrid structures.

When thinking about how to redesign your organization, keep in mind that one solution does not fit all and every organizational restructure includes a degree of risk.

Centralized:Centralization refers to the concentration of management and decision-making power at the top of the organizational hierarchy to coordinate financial, human and other business resources. Strategy, planning, goal setting, budgeting and talent deployment are typically conducted at the direction of a single, senior marketing lead.

Decentralized:In decentralized organizations, formal decision-making power is distributed across multiple groups, regions or business units. Decentralization is more appropriate when marketings activities must be greatly adapted to support local markets or when the company must respond quickly to changing or regionally differentiated customer needs.

Hybrid:Hybrid structures use a network of centralized and decentralized teams. What to centralize or decentralize is determined based on the role and objectives of each team. Hybrid structures blend the economies of scale of centralization with the agility of decentralization.

The first step in determining the reporting structure for any marketing organization is to understand its role, scope, objectives and associated workflows. Capture this information for every marketing team in the enterprise, whether centralized or decentralized.

Based on your inventory, weigh the importance of operational efficiency, customer centricity and marketing effectiveness as you consider the pros and cons of centralizing or decentralizing the team.For example, a global VP of brand marketing would support corporate goals versus regional goals, which might support a decision to centralize. Conversely, a regional VP of marketing would need to incorporate local insights into campaigns, supporting the decision to decentralize.

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Marketing Organization Structure Design and Talent - Gartner

We believe this approach will lead to a more customer-centric organization, resulting in greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, says SALTO North America President Bill Wood.

NORCROSS, Ga. SALTO Systems has announced the appointment of three new area leaders for the West, Southeast, and Northeast regions of North America. The move comes as part of the organizations decentralization initiative to enhance customer service, foster a culture of learning, and ensure sustainable growth.

Im proud that our team and organization has grown and achieved the ability to begin to realize this decentralized vision. Many within our team have been working hard behind the scenes to arrive at this moment, says SALTO North America President Bill Wood. Decentralizing our organization allows us to get closer to our customers and better understand their needs. By moving decision-making closer to the customer, we can respond more quickly to their needs, improve our service offerings, and ensure that we are meeting their expectations.

We believe this approach will lead to a more customer-centric organization, resulting in greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, and will help us attract and retain top talent, enhance our organizational capabilities, and drive innovation, Wood continues.

Joe Buist has been named area leader for SALTO West. Buist, who has been in the security industry for nearly two decades, has worked for SALTO for 11 years in a variety of technology and sales roles and most recently served as senior regional sales manager for the West. Prior to joining SALTO, Buist served as a loss prevention director for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, account executive for Integra Telecom, and area loss prevention manager for Harmons Grocery.

The quality and innovation that SALTO puts into developing electronic locks and access control solutions are what drew me to the company over 10 years ago. Im grateful to have worked in many areas for SALTO and know that my extensive experience at many levels will help in this new opportunity to lead the West in connecting with and servicing our valued partners and customers, says Buist.

Steve Burk is the area leader for SALTO Southeast. Burk most recently served SALTO as director of marketing and industries. Before joining SALTO four years ago, his career included marketing and sales leadership with Delta Material Services, Avaya, Inc., and IBM Corporation. His specialties include leading direct and channel marketing, strategic planning, operational effectiveness, channel sales, and key vendor relations.

Having successfully directed multi-faceted assignments and assumed key roles in the development of high-visibility, high-impact projects, I look forward to leading the Southeast area team and working with David and Joe. Together, with our customer-first philosophy, we will deliver unparalleled customer value, says Burk.

David Latreille is the area leader for SALTO Northeast. He most recently served SALTO as international program manager, delivering complex programs to SALTOs largest clients around the world. An end user advocate and disciplined agile evangelist, he says he looks forward to sharing the experiences of the last five years at SALTO with his team and their customers.

As a people-over-process leader, Im honored to be given the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of individuals here at SALTO. We recognize that every single employees contribution is essential to our success, and I look forward to playing my part in our evolution, says Latreille.

Were thrilled to welcome Joe, Steve, and David to their new roles. With their extensive industry knowledge, experience, and leadership, they will be instrumental in driving SALTO s decentralized approach, delivering unparalleled customer value, and ensuring sustainable growth, says Wood.

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SALTO Systems Adds Area Leaders for Three Regions in North ... - Security Sales & Integration

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) released itsIllicit Finance Risk Assessmentof Decentralized Finance (Assessment). This Assessment, part of a broad regulatory scrutiny of entities that operate in the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) space (see the explanation below), focuses on the illicit finance risks associated with virtual assets.

While the assessment discusses how bad actors are taking advantage of weak points in anti-money laundering (AML) and other regulatory regimes across the world, we want to highlight the assessments findings that DeFi companies are often failing in meeting their obligations to address sanctions and money laundering risks. As weve highlighted over the past year, financial institutions of all kinds, from traditional banks and broker dealers to newer crypto and web3 companies are facing increased regulatory scrutiny (for example, see Wilson Sonsinis past alerts onCoinbase,TornadoCash, andKraken). This Assessment serves as a reminder, especially for DeFi financial institutions, that regulators will continue enforcement against AML infractions.

The first-of-its-kind risk assessment alleges that DeFi service providers often fail to institute robust AML compliance programs. This, according to the Assessment, can make DeFi services vulnerable to exploitation by illicit actors. To curb the use of DeFi services for criminal activity, Treasurys Assessment recommends that the U.S. government strengthen AML regulatory supervision, consider potential enhancements to the existing regulatory regime, and better engage with the private sector to stay up to date on the latest developments in the DeFi ecosystem.

De-What?

While there is no universally accepted definition of DeFi services, the term is generally used to describe virtual currency protocols and services that offer some form of automated peer-to-peer exchange transactions. Such transactions are often executed using smart contracts or computer code. DeFi companies can operate, at least to some extent, without the support of a central company, group, or person, though Treasury clarifies that the degree to which a purported Defi service is in reality decentralized is a matter of facts and circumstances. Examples include cryptocurrency exchanges and decentralized liquidity platforms, where lenders and borrowers are incentivized to rely on a particular service.

Decentralization May Not Mean No Regulatory Scrutiny

Treasurys Assessment clarifies that just because a virtual currency business claims to be decentralized does not necessarily mean the business wouldnt be considered a financial institution under the Bank Secrecy Act, the legislative underpinning for AML regulations. Likewise, the declaration that a service is decentralized cannot be used to abdicate responsibility for compliance with sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The Assessment notes that when entities whose operations are subject to regulation (e.g., money transmitters) fail to register with regulators or fall short of their AML obligations, bad actors are more likely to take advantage of their services to either profit from their criminal activity or circumvent law enforcement.

Weve Said It Before and Well Say It Again: Increasing Trend of Regulatory Enforcement

The Assessment is part of a larger trend: regulators are increasingly concerned about the illicit use of crypto assets and will aggressively scrutinize crypto asset businesses. Even businesses with some degree of decentralization are not exempt from this scrutiny.

We have already discussed, for example, how crypto asset exchangeCoinbaseand its $50 million settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services after it failed to track, monitor, and report suspicious activity that may have, and in some cases did, result in illicit activity. Further, decentralized crypto asset mixerTornadoCashwas penalized by OFAC in August 2022 because, according to OFAC, TornadoCashs weak AML program allowed users to launder over $7 billion. On the same day, a top employee at BitMEX was found guilty of violating AML regulations issued pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, demonstrating that individuals, and not just crypto asset companies themselves, can be held liable for such violations. Crypto asset exchangesKrakenandBittrexboth settled with federal regulators in 2022 because of alleged sanctions and AML violations.

The Treasurys Assessment separately notes that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has even brought anactionagainst a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) for failing to comply with KYC/AML requirements. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Californiaheldthat the DAO could be sued as an unincorporated association under applicable law, demonstrating how decentralization does not make crypto services enforcement-proof. Regulators are unlikely to take their eyes off DeFi crypto asset businesses anytime soon, making proper compliance programs more important than ever.

My Company Works in DeFi: What Should I Do?

First and foremost, companies operating in the DeFi space should perform an analysis to determine if they should register with any federal (and/or state) regulatory bodies (e.g., FinCEN). Just as in the TV series The Office, when the character Michael Scott found that declaring bankruptcy required a bit more legwork than making that statement in a public place (even loudly), DeFi companies (and their employees) should not assume that simply telling partners and customers they are decentralized will shield them from their regulatory responsibilities.

Additionally, maintaining an effective AML and sanctions compliance program is crucial to avoiding missteps that could expose DeFi companies to significant penalties. DeFi companies that dont have such compliance programs in place should consider whether they are required to have one, what it should include, and how should it be resourced.

Lastly, Treasurys Assessment includes an acknowledgment that the government is behind in understanding DeFi, and Treasury recommends additional engagement with industry to get up to speed. This engagement may come through public comment and research opportunities. DeFi businesses should pay close attention to these opportunities to ensure they are helping shape the governments understanding of this evolving and innovative space.

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Treasury Risk Assessment Emphasizes That Decentralized Crypto ... - JD Supra

Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene is essential for human health and well-being. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 is about clean water and sanitation for all. However, in many developing countries, these necessities remain out of reach for a significant portion of the population, particularly those living in suburban and rural areas. The popular thinking is that local governments can play a critical role in scaling up interventions to improve access to water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Take Nigeria. It is easily the most populous country in Africa with a rapidly growing population that is expected to reach 400 million by 2050. Despite its vast natural resources, including water, Nigeria faces significant challenges in providing access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), only 29 per cent of Nigerians have access to basic sanitation facilities, and only 63 per cent have access to basic water services.

The local government is Nigerias third tier of government. It consists of 774 units located across the thirty-six states of the federation. Local governments are typically responsible for a range of vital services for people and businesses in defined areas.

Empowering the local government is key to addressing these and other basic everyday challenges. Across the world, local governments are responsible for providing basic services, including water and sanitation, to their communities. They are, however, often hampered by a lack of resources, capacity, and technical expertise to effectively implement interventions to improve access to these services. To overcome these challenges, several strategies can be implemented to empower the local government:

Capacity building: One of the most critical strategies for empowering the local government is to build its capacity to implement water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions effectively. This can be achieved through training programs, workshops, and other capacity-building initiatives that provide local government officials with the knowledge and skills they need to plan, implement, and monitor these interventions.

Partnerships: Partnerships with NGOs, private sector organisations, and other stakeholders can provide local governments with the resources and technical expertise they need to implement water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions. These partnerships can also help to mobilize resources and raise awareness about the importance of improving access to these services.

Decentralization: Decentralization of water and sanitation services to the local government can enhance the accountability and responsiveness of local governments to their communities. Decentralization can also provide local governments with greater control over the allocation of resources, enabling them to prioritize interventions that are most needed in their communities.

Use of technology: The use of technology can help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions. For example, mobile technology can be used to collect data on water sources and sanitation facilities, monitor water quality, and track the implementation of interventions.

Community participation: Community participation is critical to the success of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions. Local governments can empower communities by involving them in the planning and implementation of interventions, as well as in monitoring and evaluation.

Read also:Access to safe water is essential for improving health, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable development

This is the core of the matter, transforming the operations of local governments in Nigeria will require a significant investment of resources. The exact amount required will depend on several factors, including the size and population of each local government, the specific interventions needed, and the level of capacity and resources currently available to local governments.

Experts foresee that it would require consistent investment over the next 10 years, at the minimum, to make any dent. To start, we must have full autonomy for local governments in the country. Local government autonomy refers to the degree to which local governments have the power to make decisions and manage their affairs independently of the state or federal government. In Nigeria, local governments have limited autonomy, which has led to a range of issues and challenges. The biggest problem here is that of access to funds.

Empowering the local government is key to truly transforming the nation. As local governments are able to scale up water access, sanitation, and hygiene interventions, they will contribute directly to improving the quality of life of citizens. By building the capacity of local governments, fostering partnerships, decentralizing services, utilizing technology, and promoting community participation, we can improve access to these necessities and promote health and well-being for all. Local government autonomy is the ideal starting point.

Eromosele, a corporate communication professional and public affairs analyst lives in Lagos.

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Empowering local governments to improve access to clean water, sanitation, hygiene - Businessday