NATO in Libya: A Long-Term Plan for Stability

The Polish Institute of International Affairs is an analytical institution established by an act of Parliament in 1996 to carry out research and provide expertise in international affairs. PISM disseminates information on contemporary international issues and maintains contacts with academic and political centres in Poland and abroad. The Institute runs courses for public servants, maintains a library (open to the public; 165,000 books and journals), organises conferences, and publishes books, periodicals and documents on Polish foreign policy and international matters.

The funding for PISM comes from the budget. The director is appointed by the prime minister for a term of five years, following consultation with the minister of foreign affairs. The minister supervises the Institute and appoints its advisory council, which includes a representative of the President of the Republic of Poland, academics and officials.There has never been a better time for NATO’s involvement in Libya than now. Libya—a country many describe as the second biggest source of instability in the Euro-Atlantic neighbourhood, with multiple local centres of power, some 2,000 militias in intertwined conflict, a growing people-smuggling market and expanding terrorist organisations, namely IS and Al Qaeda—has the new and able Government of National Accord. It has already shown it can deliver by defeating IS in Sirte, but without urgent support from the international community it may not be able to show more progress in providing security, reform and services to the Libyan people. In cooperation with the EU, NATO can and should assist with SSR, border control and countering people-smuggling, as there is no better placed actor than the Alliance to help Libya in this regard.