TRIPOLI - The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Tuesday welcomed the appointment of five Libyan women judges in the capital of Tripoli and Benghazi.

The move represents a significant step towards advancing the rights of women and children in Libya, said the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Tuesday

The UNSMIL said in a statement that it welcomes the Oct 11 appointment of five women judges who will work in two new specialized courts in Benghazi and Tripoli dedicated to hearing cases of violence against women and children.

"The establishment of these two courts, coupled with the appointment of five women judges, represents a significant step towards advancing the rights of women and children in Libya. With dedicated courts, the criminal justice response to cases of violence against women and children will vastly improve," reads the statement.

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The UNSMIL reaffirmed its commitment, in partnership with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN Women, to a specialized training program for all judges appointed to the newly established courts.

It added that it "looks forward to working closely with the Libyan Supreme Judicial Council to implement this program."

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