Mediterranean Talks: In Conversation with Stephanie Williams
Luiss University, 09/06/2025
Luiss University, Viale Pola, Aula 12
9 June 2025, 17:00 – 19:00 CET
This Mediterranean Talk will feature Stephanie Williams, U.S. diplomat and former senior United Nations official, for a conversation on diplomacy, mediation, and conflict resolution in the Middle East and North Africa.
At the center of the discussion is her newly released book, Libya Since Qaddafi: Chaos and the Search for Peace (Hurst Publishers), which offers a firsthand account of Libya’s turbulent transition and the ongoing search for sustainable peace. Drawing on her extensive experience in the region, the discussion will focus on her time leading the UN-backed Libyan Political Dialogue Forum and her broader mediation efforts during one of the most critical phases of Libya’s transition.
The event will also explore key moments from her diplomatic career in Iraq, Jordan, and Bahrain, reflecting on how the role of the United States has evolved in the region and the practical challenges of representing U.S. interests amid political upheaval and conflict. Her perspective offers valuable insights into both bilateral and multilateral diplomacy at a time of growing global fragmentation.
As diplomacy continues to face pressure from shifting power dynamics, what can we learn from past efforts and how can future mediation be made more inclusive and resilient?
Ms. Stephanie T. Williams has extensive experience in diplomacy and foreign security policy, both internationally and in her own country. She previously served as Acting Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) (2020-2021), and as Deputy Special Representative (Political) of UNSMIL (2018-2020). A member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counsellor, Ms. Williams took up her duties as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. for the Libya External Office (Tunis) in 2018.
She graduated with honours from the University of Maryland in 1987 with a double degree in Economics and Government Relations. In 1989, she earned a Master’s Degree in Arab Studies from Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. She is a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College, where she earned a Master’s Degree in National Security Studies in 2008. She is fluent in English and Arabic.
