This paper is a desk-based review of security initiatives undertaken in Libya between 2011 and 2018 with the aim of identifying lessons for future security sector development (SSD) at the national level. It served as an input for the Libyan Security Sector Planning Project by providing starting points for further research into the political economy of SSD in Libya. This project is funded by the US Department of State and implemented by a Consortium led by Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) with Danish Demining Group (DDG) and Clingendael’s Conflict Research Unit (CRU). The paper itself was independently researched by Clingendael.

The paper owes a debt of thanks to Louis-Alexandre Berg (Georgia State University), Youssef Sawani (University of Tripoli), Lahib Higel (Dialogue Advisory Group), Camille Schyns (European Institute for Peace) and Floor El Kamouni-Janssen (formerly with Clingendael) for their thoughtful peer review. The contents of the paper remain the responsibility of its authors.

The analytical work underpinning the paper was completed in June 2019 and the paper was written in the autumn of 2019.