Lebanon

In 2024, the situation in Lebanon deteriorated, with a series of crises that deepened inequalities and vulnerabilities. On 27 November 2024, a cessation of hostilities agreement between Israel and Lebanon took effect, ending over 13 months of escalating violence. The conflict caused over 3,961 deaths, 16,520 injuries, and severe damage to infrastructure. More than 1.25 million people were displaced. The hostilities unfolded amid Lebanon’s deepening governance, economic and financial crises, resulting in profound human suffering and heightened potential for conflict, insecurity and instability. Lebanon continues to host the highest number of refugees per capita globally, facing an increasingly complex situation due to new arrivals, deportations, and a rise in smuggling and risky journeys to Europe.

This polycrisis is threatening the core functioning of rule of law institutions, hindering UNDP’s efforts to deliver on justice sector reform and underscoring at the same time the growing relevance of this work. This past year, through its Global Programme for Strengthening the Rule of Law, Human Rights, Justice and Security for Sustainable Peace and Development (the Global Programme), UNDP in Lebanon (1) expanded legal aid services through mobile help desks, (2) supported national progress towards enforcing environmental laws, (3) enhanced human rights guarantees during preliminary investigation phase. These initiatives form a part of UNDP’s integrated three-track security and justice programming in Lebanon, implemented in close coordination with other UNDP teams and built on strategic partnerships with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union (EU).

1. Expanded legal aid services through mobile help desks in the North and Baalbek-Hermel Governorates

Despite the escalation of hostilities, UNDP delivered its services to meet the growing needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing conflict-affected areas in South Lebanon. Three legal aid helpdesks provided uninterrupted support, expanding to the South, North and Baalbek El Hermel governorates, in close collaboration with the Access to Justice Working Group under the Ministry of Justice, and in partnership with the Bar Associations in Beirut and Tripoli.

The primary focus of legal aid was to safeguard the rights of and empower vulnerable groups in remote areas, with a strong emphasis on gender-related issues. Through its mobile legal services, UNDP provided critical support to Syrian refugees, persons with disabilities, migrant workers and older persons, the groups disproportionately impacted by Lebanon's multidimensional crisis. UNDP worked jointly with UNHCR to ensure successful implementation of the mobile helpdesks to cater effectively to the legal needs of Syrian refugees.

A total of 4,732 individuals, including 2,815 women in 45 municipalities benefitted from free legal aid services through mobile helpdesks supported by the Global Programme. Over 80 awareness raising sessions on gender-related issues were conducted for 926 individuals of which 628 were women in the North, and 497 individuals of which 395 were women in the Baalbek El Hermel Governorate. Both mobile helpdesks have had a profound impact, raising legal awareness and helping foster change on critical issues, particularly gender-based violence.

The support to the mobile helpdesks provided by UNDP’s Global Programme had a catalytic effect. The project secured additional funding from the Government of Canada to meet the growing needs of vulnerable populations, including IDPs fleeing conflict-affected areas.

2. Accelerated national progress towards enforcing environmental laws

In 2024, UNDP continued its efforts to help national authorities collect debts from the quarrying sector as a part of its environmental justice initiative. The UNDP-facilitated dialogue between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Environment culminated in the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to address the collection of unpaid penalties for quarrying regulation violations, which amount to over two billion US dollars. The representatives of the two ministries received comprehensive training on the implementation of the SOPs.

A primary implementation concern was the reluctance of quarry business owners and operators to pay their dues to the National Treasury. Discussions focused on exploring potential strategies to streamline the payment process and address this issue effectively. With UNDP support, the Ministry of Environment drafted a decision outlining the procedure for collecting dues from the quarrying sector which was subsequently approved by the State Council and enacted into a law.

Following consultations with UNDP and the Ministry of Environment, Saint-Joseph University (USJ), a leading law school in Lebanon, agreed to spearhead the initial phase of the dues collection process.

3. Enhanced human rights guarantees during preliminary investigation phase

UNDP worked with the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Internal Security Forces (ISF) to operationalize human rights guarantees during the preliminary investigation phase. These guarantees were introduced in 2020 when a landmark law amending the Criminal Procedure Code was passed. However, lack of resources and political will impeded their implementation. Due to its holistic approach and partnership with national authorities, UNDP secured consent from national security and justice stakeholders to pilot initiatives to enforce these protection guarantees. Notably, in addition to protecting individuals under preliminary investigation, these provisions seek to protect security forces by shielding them from unsubstantiated allegations of mistreatment.

At this pilot stage, UNDP is focusing on audio and video recording of interrogation sessions in six police locations. The software solution is safe, cost-effective and adapted to Lebanese justice and security architecture, covering not only the actual recording but also the transfer of the data and access rights. In addition, UNDP developed SOPs to define the roles and responsibilities of the judiciary, security forces and lawyers in operationalizing protection guarantees. When this report was drafted, the SOPs were under review.

As part of UNDP’s holistic approach, the new committees were established at the Tripoli Bar Association (TBA) and the Beirut Bar Association (BBA) to provide legal assistance during preliminary investigations, both in-person and through the hotlines. In total, 160 individuals, including 14 women, 73 Syrian refugees and two stateless individuals, received legal support. These efforts are a breakthrough in Lebanon as they enable transparency and increased human rights protection.

1. This includes 1191 Syrians, 171 foreigners and 11 stateless individuals.