United NationsDevelopment ProgrammeLebanon
A Global Deve l o p m e nt Ne two rk
"The blueprint for how we want to drive
change… lies in one simple algebraic
phrase: a2 and p2… advocacy and
advice… pilots and partnerships…"
Mark Malloch Brown,UNDP Administrator
What is UNDP?
UNDP is the UN's global development
network,advocating for change and
connecting countries to knowledge,
experience and resources to help
people build a better life. UNDP is on
the ground in 166 countries, working
with them on their own solutions
to global and national development
challenges. As they develop local
capacity, they draw on the people of
UNDP and its wide range of partners.
What does UNDP work on worldwide?
UNDP chairs the UN D evelopment Group
and helps developing countries attract
and use aid effectively. Its mandate is to
support countries in creating and sharing
innovative solutions to the common
challenges of:
➜ Democratic Governance
➜ Poverty Reduction
➜ Crisis Prevention and Recovery
➜ Energy and Environment
➜ Information and Communications
Technology
➜ HIV/AIDS
In all its activities, UNDP encourages the
protection of human rights and the
empowerment of women.
What are the Millennium
Development Goals?
As a trusted, effective and knowledge-
able organisation,UNDP is entrustedwith
the mission of strengthening networks
and co-ordinating global and national
efforts to achieve the eight Millennium
Development Goals set out by world
leaders by 2015:
1. Halve extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Empower women and promote
equality between women and men.
4. Reduce under-five mortality by two-
thirds.
5. Reduce maternal mortality by three-
quarters.
6. Reverse the spread of diseases,
especially HIV/AIDS and malaria.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
8. Create a global partnership for
development, aiming to set targets for
aid, trade and debt relief.
Which are some of the
UNDP-Administered Agencies?
Through UNDP country offices, the
United Nations Volunteers (UNV) extend
hands-on development assistance in 140
countries, while United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
works in over 100 countries to provide
financial and technical assistance that
promote women’s human rights, political
participation and economic security. By
investing with the poor and developing
the capacity of local institutions, United
Nations Capital Development Fund
(UNCDF) seeks to help eradicate poverty
through local development programmes
and micro-finance operations.
"Focusing on people and creating meaningful
changes in people’s lives is what development is
all about – and UNDP Lebanon does that with
depth and wide cove ra g e. UNDP remains an
indispensable network to address problems of
marginalised groups and to make use of state-
of-the-art development tools. It is painful to read
about the lack of women in decision-making lev-
els in National and Arab Regional Hu m a n
Development Reports but by exposing this chal-
lenge, UNDP creates a powerful impetus to do
something about it – whether through advocacy
processes or partnerships in empowering pro-
grammes."
Nayla Moawad
Member of Parliament
President, Rene Moawad Foundation
UNDP in the Arab Region
"From the Atlantic to the Gulf,
people – women,men and children –
are the real wealth and hope of Arab
countries." Arab Human Development
Report 2002
Through growing efforts of 17 countr y
offices in the Arab world, UNDP seeks
to support people in 22 states of the
Arab world in developing a better
understanding of challenges, assets
and opportunities. The Sub-Regional
Resource Facility for Arab States
(SURF-AS) facilitates the search and
use of knowledge in key development
areas. This includes information on
expertise, experience sharing and best
practices, as well as policy advice and
technical support to initiate new pro-
grammes. In addition,innovative
programmes are implemented under
the umbrella of the Regional Bureau of
Arab States (RBAS),which incorporates:
Regional Prog ramme for Gove rn a n ce in
the Arab Wo rl d :
Targeting the economic and social
development of the Arab region by
creating an environment where good
governance and effective public
resource management can be practised
and advocated.
Centre for Arab Women Training and
Research:
A leading source of information and
expertise in the A rab region that helps
decision-makers and actors in the field
better implement policies and advocate
for projects affecting women.
Information Communication
Technologies for Development in Arab
Region:
Established in partnership with the
public and private sector, ICTDAR
supports participating A rab countries in
reducing poverty by fostering a more
information-enabled society.
Trends in Inte rn ational Mat h e m at i c s
and Science Study:
Supports supports participating Arab
States in developing policies and
strategies for improving the quality of
education at all levels.
Strengthening Capacities for
Promoting Arab Economic Growth
Under Globalisation:
Aims to render high-level advisory
services that promote economic growth
rates and foster employment, in addition
to dealing with globalisation and
regionalisation.
The Arab Human Development Report
(AHDR):
The first Arab Human Development
Report was launched in July 2002.
It probes the causes of deficits in
under-development in the Arab region
and identifies three areas that need
to be addressed:governance, women’s
empowerment, and knowledge.
" Arab co u n t ries have enjoyed impre s s i ve
achievements in improving health, education
and living standard s. In three deca d e s, l i fe
expectancy increased… and child mortality…
more than halved… the Arab region achieved
the largest improvements in female education
of any de veloping region. Despite considerable
achievements, a backlog of deprivation and sti-
fled development persists in the Arab region.
The Report analyses this backlog in terms of
human poverty… poverty, not in income, but in
capabilities and opportunities."
Rima Khalaf Humaidi
Regional Director, UNDP’s Regional Bureau
for Arab States
UNDP Lebanon
"The challenge…for the UN Country
Team lies in the potential achievement
of increased impact on human develop-
ment in the country, in making a greater
and more positive contribution towards
a better life for all the people of
Lebanon." Yves de San,UN Resident
Co-ordinator
Mandate
Since the inception of technical
co-operation programmes in 1960,
and following a period of restricted
activities during the war, UNDP Lebanon
fully resumed in 1992 and has evolved
in orientation and coverage to address
national needs and emerging priorities,
and specifically to achieve three critical
objectives:
➜ To help the United Nations
become a driving force for sustainable
human development.
➜ To effectively use UNDP resources
to implement core goals: poverty
eradication through employment
creation and sustainable livelihoods,
the advancement of women,
environmental protection,and the
promotion of good governance.
➜ To strengthen international co-
operation and ensure its catalytic
contribution to national development.
The process of co-operation between
UNDP and the Lebanese Government
is operationalised in a Country
Co-operation Framework (CCF) which
outlines jointly planned national
programmes and focuses on results.
As the designated representative of
the Secretary-General,the Resident
Co-ordinator leads the UN country team
and oversees the operational activities
for development at a country level,
by harmonising the initiatives of UN
agencies and working closely with the
government (CDR being the national
counterpart of UNDP),civil society and
the private sector.
Goals
Reflecting Lebanon’s key development
priorities, UNDP in partnership with the
Government of Lebanon have set two
overall goals:
➜ Enhancing national decision-making
capacity for human development.
➜ Promoting and implementing a
rights-based approach to development.
Main Pillars
To achieve its goals and maximise
d eve l o p m e nt impact, UNDP stri ves to
f a c i l i t ate :
➜ Governance
➜ Poverty Reduction
➜ Environmental and Natural Resource
Management
Cross-Cutting and Supporting Actions
In order to strengthen the linkages
between policy reform and empower-
ment, UNDP integrates the following
in its initiatives:
➜ Advocacy and the promotion
of a national development dialogue
➜ Gender and development
➜ Youth participation
➜ Partnerships and resource
mobilisation
➜ Management and support
"The Ministry of Social Affairs has built, togeth-
er with UNDP, a strong partnership that aims to
reinforce the on-going efforts to understand
the characteristics of the poor in the country
and to develop a national framework for pover-
ty reduction. This partnership is characterized
by a strong commitment from both parties to
create positive and sustainable change at sev-
eral levels:improving living conditions of com-
munities in poor regions, building the capacity
of MoSA staff membe r s, p roducing publica-
tions, implementing a multi-purpose poverty
s u rvey, and fo rging partnerships with other
stakeholders in civil society to elaborate further
development initiatives."
Nimat Kana’an
Director General
Ministry of Social Affairs
Environmental and Natural Resource Management
Poverty Reduction
Governance
Advocacy and the Promotion of National Development Dialogue
Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation
Youth Participation
Gender and Development
Management and Support
For more information on or partnership
ideas for UNDP Lebanon:
Check our our website:www.undp.org.lb
Write to UNDP at: [email protected]
partners for change
networkfacilitator
trusted advisorcapacity builder
connector
UNDP is a development network - as wide as the aspirations of the people
and institutions it works with.
Environmental and Natural Resource Management
Sustainable development includes the
protection and regeneration of the
environment, and the sound management
of renewable and non-renewable resources.
The establishment of the Ministry of
Environment in 1993 provided a major spark
in identifying and shaping support to
national needs, which UNDP-Lebanon has
been promoting through the:
➜ Mainstreaming of environmentally sound
strategies within all ministries at a national
level.
➜ Assisting the Government with technical
assistance to build the capacity of national
stakeholders.
➜ Supporting the Government in ‘greening’
legislation and implementing international
conventions.
Breathing life into principles and conven-
tions, UNDP-Lebanon has pursued strategic
impact areas to work on such as:
Implementing Conventions:
Transforming international conventions
into action and mainstreaming environment
into national development planning, UNDP
supports related ministries in designing
national strategic and operational plans.
Some examples include:
The Biodiversity Convention initiatives
The Protected Areas Project put in place an
effective system to safeguard endemic and
endangered species. In addition, The Agro
Bio Diversity initiative develops conservation
mechanisms with local communities. The
National Bio safety Framework is operational
under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
that includes regulatory, administrative and
decision-making systems that ensure protec-
tion from the use of modern biotechnolo gy.
The Montreal Protocol prompted the setting
up of ozone monitoring office and the
phasing out of ozone-depleting substances
through several investment and non-invest-
m e nt pro j e ct s.The Methyl Bromide Al te rn a t i ve s
project started in partnership with the
Ministry of Environment and subsequently
included the Ministry of Trade for conduc-
ting environmental studies on the cost and
benefit of alternatives to methyl bromide.
The Climate Change Convention
encouraged the establishment of a green -
house gas inventory identifying the high
emissions sectors, paving the way for several
operational projects, among which are the
establishment of an energy centre, thermal
building standards, and policy assessment
of electricity tariffs.
The UN Convention for Combating
Desertification is pursued under a joint
effort between UNDP and the Ministry of
Agriculture.
The Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Convention of Stockholm is a global project
that is being translated into a national imple-
mentation plan to phase out all POPs from
the health sector, in partnership with
the Ministries of Environment and Health.
Institutional Set-up and
Strengthening:
The pivotal Rio Convention of 1992 and the
subsequent Capacity 21 and 2015 spurned
off real efforts in developing national institu-
tional and regulatory frameworks, as well as
linking global conventions and issues to local
governance. Through partnerships with the
European Union and others, UNDP devel-
oped essential environmental management
tools: Strengthening the Permitting and
Auditing System for Industries (SPASI) as a
capacity building for policy makers and key
stakeholders in developing an environmen-
tally compliant system;and the Lebanese
Environment and Development Observatory
(LEDO) which leads to a better understan-
ding of the state of environment in Lebanon
through critical data and indicators’ develop-
ment and dissemination.
Civil Society Capacity Building:
Recognising their indispensable role in the
implementation of environmental projects
and local community outreach,UNDP
collaborates with NGOs on protected areas,
ecotourism,and follow-up on international
conventions and conferences. Such
partnerships are enhanced through a GEF
Small Grant Programme – a UNDP tool for
addressing global concerns at a grassroots
level.
"UNDP's partnership with the Mi n i s t ry of Env i ro n m e n t
in Lebanon is histo ri cal and dates back to the year of
the establishment of the Mi n i s t ry. UNDP's suppo rt and
i nvo lvement in this sector was invaluable and instru-
mental for its grow t h ,d evelopment and expansion of
o pe ra t i o n s. It lead to major improvements and po s i-
t i ve impacts as well as to paving the way for a solid
m a i n s t reaming of env i ronmental dimensions within
the national development planning. The late s t
National Assessment re po rt undert a ken jointly with
UNDP and the Mi n i s t ry of Fo reign Affairs for the
WS S D, assessing these undert a kings and challenges
d u ring the past 10 ye a r s, u n d e rpins the re l eva n ce,
s t rength and uniqueness of this part n e r s h i p. "
Berj Hatjian, Director General
Ministry of Environment
"The launch of Capacity 2015 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg 2002 states the conviction
that… the only way to deal with the levels of poverty and resource depletion in the world today is to build people’s capacities to be
more efficient and more effective in their use of resources." Building on Success in Capacity D evelopment, Choices, August 2002
Poverty Reduction
In an effort to address challenging social
and economic situations of marginalised
groups in Lebanon,UNDP’s intervention in
poverty reduction, regional development
and civil society aims at the reduction of
disparities by:
➜ Integrated regional development as
a means of poverty alleviation by consolida-
ting the projects and programmes dealing
with marginalised areas such as Baalbeck-
Hermel and Akkar.
➜ Support to post conflict reconstruction
and development in two regions of
Lebanon: Mount Lebanon’s area of internal
displacement and liberated South Lebanon.
➜ Strengthening of local governance
structures and civil society organisations
to enhance local participatory development
by supporting the government in revising its
current decentralisation policies, and to pro-
mote efforts to build capacities of municipal
councils and other local actors.
Such interventions are multi-disciplinary
linking different sectors such as education
and health,employment generation, poverty
alleviation,and local capacity building. They
guide on-going dialogue and partnerships
with national stakeholders in civil society in
an effort to consolidate national strategies
for balanced development. A sample of
initiatives include:
Poverty Reduction Policies:
With the support of UNDP, the Ministry of
Social Affairs strives to make p overty allevia-
tion a national priority. It seeks to enhance
the participation of civil society members
to combat poverty and make better use of
national statistics that specify the p oor and
their needs. The Mapping of Living Conditions
is used as a resource tool guiding decision-
makers with valuable information to
formulate anti-poverty plans and policies.
Re-integration and Socio-
Economic Rehabilitation of the
Displaced Programme:
In partnership with the Ministry of the
Displaced, UNDP aims to encourage a
substantial return of internally displaced
persons in the Mount Lebanon region – the
most affected area. The programme sup-
ports reconciliation processes; rehabilitation
of the socio-economic sector and creation
of new employment opportunities;and
mobilisation and co-ordination of resources
for a meaningful return process.
Post-Conflict Socio-Economic
Rehabilitation of Southern
Lebanon Programme:
A joint project of UNDP and the Government
of Lebanon,this programme operates in the
former occupied region of south Lebanon.
It includes the support to co-operatives;the
establishment of youth clubs and support to
Community Development Centres (CDCs) in
partnership with the Ministry of Social
Affairs;and capacity building of 38 munici-
palities to increase their role in community
development.
Regional Development in Akkar:
In support of one of the poorest regions in
Lebanon,UNDP implemented a regional
development project in Akkar. As a result,
15 micro-projects for poverty alleviation
have promoted income generation and job
creation focusing on unemployed youth,
economic empowerment of women and
strengthening of local government services,
as well as partnership with civil society
organisations to co-ordinate joint efforts.
" The Fa res Foundation and UNDP have both identified
municipalities as key players in sustainable ru ra l
d eve l o p m e n t. Ac co rd i n g ly, t h ey have designed a larg e
p a rt of the development partnership in No rt h
Lebanon around suppo rt for and partnership with
l ocal municipalities. As an element of this stra te gy,
UNDP and the Fa res Foundation are seeking part n e r-
ship with the Un i ve r s i ty of Balamand to provide va l u-
able te c h n i cal and institutional suppo rt in building
the capacities and developmental abilities of munici-
p a l i t i e s. Ex pe ri e n ce, ex pe rt i s e, and commitment are
keys to success in sustainable deve l o p m e n t. In our
p a rtnership with the UNDP we have found those
a t t ri b u tes in abundance. "
Paul Salem
General Director, The Fares Foundation
"UNDP has helped us initiate projects that benefit us in our communities – it is up to
us to continue the work." A woman participating in the UNDP programme in Southern
Lebanon
Governance
Good governance is a process that promotes
an effective and participatory relationship
between the state and other actors, both at
national and local levels, and supports insti-
tution-building and human development.
UNDP works on the promotion of national
dialogue for a comprehensive vision of
governance that guides national reform to
achieve two main goals:
Enhanced national strategic plan-
ning and decision-making
including modernization of structures, skills,
procedures, services and information by:
➜ Promoting reliable decision-making tools.
➜ Developing a competent human resource
base and institutionalised skill building.
➜ Engaging partners and sectors in
planning.
➜ Implementing institutional reform.
Good governance
through interventions on several critical
levels:
➜ Creating a platform for dialogue and
participation in national planning and goal
setting to meet new challenges.
➜ Mainstreaming legislative development
by supporting the structures and pr ocesses
of Parliament.
➜ Promoting ICT for development in the
public and the private sector as well as in
civil society.
➜ Empowering civil society and increasing
public awareness of human,social and
economic rights issues.
➜ Promoting decentralisation and local gov-
ernance as a means for local development.
Some of the projects under institution
building and support to policy making
include:
Public Sector Reform, Institutional
Development and e-Government
UNDP supports the Lebanese government’s
efforts and specifically the Office of the
Minister of State for Administrative Reform
(OMSAR) to develop crucial modernisation
projects, including Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) solutions
in the ministries of Finance, and Economy
and Trade.
Fiscal Reform and Management
(Revenue Enhancement):
UNDP provides the Ministry of Finance with
a flexible mechanism for aid co-ordination
and for soliciting professional expertise to
help the Ministry per form its fiscal policy and
administrative functions.
Institutional Development for
Economic Growth
UNDP supports the Ministry of Economy and
Trade to develop and implement competi-
tive economic policies and in managing
partnership with global, regional and natio-
nal economic organisations. UNDP also
supports IDAL in identifying strategic invest-
ment and strengthening its capacity to
service investors.
Strengthening the Structure of
Parliament
This project raises awareness about develop-
ment issues among parliamentarians, and
assists parliamentary committees to broaden
the dialogue with national stakeholders.
" The co - o pe ration be tween the UNDP and the
Lebanese Pa rliament empowers the Pa rt l i a m e n t’s
a d m i n i s t ration and te c h n o l ogy in addition to ex p a n-
ding citize n’s participation in all matters of mutual
co n ce rn be tween the St a te and soc i e ty. By deve l o p i n g
e f fe ct i ve legislative stru ct u re s, we are be t ter able to
p ra ct i ce good gove rn a n ce and to re s pond to pe o p l e’s
n e e d s. "
Bilal Charara,
Director, Parliament of Lebanon
"Governance…[is] the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a countr y’s affairs at all
levels…Good governance is… participatory, transparent and accountable. It is also effective and equitable and it promotes the
rule of law." Arab Human Development Report 2002
Advocacy and the Promotion of National Development Dialogue
The Human Development Report
From small villages to global capitals , the
Human Development Report (HDR) has
become an indispensable tool in sparking
and shaping awareness, advocacy and action
for human development – as an information
tool and an advocacy process. Building on
the groundbreaking work of the Nobel Prize-
winner Amartya Sen Mahbub ul-Haq, and
others, the global HDR mobilises leading
expertise to assess the state of development
from a people-centred perspective. It puts
the expansion of human capabilities, choices
and opportunities at the heart of the deve-
lopment process – maintaining a balance
between economic growth,equity, sustain-
ability, and empowerment.
The shift in development perspectives is
reflected in the global HDR,which increa-
singly tackles issues of democrac y, human
rights and governance. The Human
Development Report 2003, Millennium
Development Goals:A Compact Among
Nations to End Human Poverty offers a unique
analysis of the world’s progress in meeting
the ambitious Millennium Development
Goals and introduces a detailed new plan of
action to meet those goals .
The regional HDR promotes regional part-
nerships for influencing change, and
addresses region-specific human develop-
ment approaches to human rights, poverty,
education,economic reform,HIV/AIDS,and
globalisation. The Arab Human Development
Report 2002: Creating Opportunities for Future
Generations is the first regional Report for
the Arab States
The National HDR is one of the principal
processes that anchor human development
firmly within the national agenda. The first
three National Human Development Reports,
managed jointly with the Council for
Development and Reconstruction (CDR)
examine human development priorities from
a national perspective and experiences
underscoring pertinent local themes:
Profile of Sustainable Human
Development in Lebanon 1997
the first national human development report
in Lebanon reflected on the challenges of
the country following the war perio d, and
stimulated debate on the priorities of de ve-
lopment laying special emphasis on social
and environmental aspects.
Youth and Development 1998
focused on youth as a resource for change
and engagement in tackling national chal -
lenges, and addressed development action
which promotes the capabilities of youth
and increases their participation for socio-
economic and political integration.
Globalisation: Towards a Lebanese
Agenda 2001-2002 explored the
challenges and opportunities of globalisa-
tion for the national agenda,providing useful
insights as well as a platform for dialogue
concerning development and globalisation
strategies.
The First Global Re t re at for National Hu m a n
Deve l o p m e nt Re po rts was held in Be i rut 2001;
m o re than 75 part i c i p a nts re p re s e nting 40 co u n-
t ries from all five regions of the wo rl d,human deve l-
o p m e nt pra ctitioners and team membe r s, ex pe rt s
and gove rn m e nt co u nte rp a rts shared kn ow l e d g e,
lessons learnt and good pra ct i ce s, as ex pe ri e n ce s
we re discussed and impact analys e d.
"Development is a momentous engagement with freedom’s possibilities"
Amartya Sen, Nobel prize-winning economist in "Development as Freedom"
Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation
The creation of new partnerships and
strengthening of existing ones is a critical
element in UNDP’s vision to become a fully
networked organization, co-ordinating and
facilitating joint efforts between different
actors. Mobilising substantive collaboration
and funding relationships puts institutional,
entrepreneurial and social resources at the
heart of innovative development initiatives.
Government and Public
Institutions
UNDP is a key stakeholder in national
development and theLebanese Government
provides major financial and substantive
contributions to the development process.
UNDP works closely with government
ministries and agencies and espouses
capacity building, joint project implementa-
tion,and advocacy for positive change in
national policies.
UN Inter-Agency
UNDP seeks a harmonized, integrated
approach to development on the basis of
collaborative action,joint solutions and
optimal leverage of resources and impact.
Joint regional initiatives provide opportuni-
ties for consultative meetings and experi-
ence sharing at a regional level. In addition,
UNDP seeks to integrate UN Volunteers pro-
gramme in its various national sec tor activi-
ties, and to develop linkages between the
private sector and community development.
Donors
As a voluntarily funded organisation,
UNDP’s ability to meet development needs
of countries it serves depends on having an
adequate and secure resource base.
Diversifying partnerships expands resources
as well as helps in building coalitions for
change. UNDP seeks co-financing with a
range of actors such as the European
Commission,the World Bank,bilateral
donors, Arab funds, the private sector, and
other international funds such as the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) and the Montreal
Protocol,as well as civil society.
Private Sector
UNDP engages the private sector in policy
dialogue, promotion of development priori-
ties and effective transfer of know-how.
In addition to initiatives such as “The
Environment Audit Manual for Hotels”,
UNDP has also partnered with the media
on its "Media Award for Human
Development". Through the "Enhancing
Business-Community Relations" project of
the UN Volunteers and the Academy of
Business, UNDP creates linkages with civil
society and government on key socio-eco-
nomic and environmental issues.
Civil Society
UNDP partners with NGOs, think tanks, foun-
dations, academia and local government
institutions to build on resources and capaci-
ties for local development. In addition to an
up-to-date database of Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGO) operating in Lebanon,
UNDP supports the Ministry of Social Affairs
in running an NGO Resource Centre as an
institutional framework for state-of-the-art
capacity building programmes.
"Partnership is not just an add-on, expanding our capacity to do business. Partnership is about the w ay we do our business…it is
to connect, not delineate. It is to create opportunities, not define turf. It is to seek alignment with the external rather than to seg-
ment from within." Bruce Jenks, Director of the Bureau of Strategic Partnerships, UNDP
In i t i a l ly a simple env i ro n m e nt fo rum organised by Scht ro u m p f, a
Lebanese re s t a u ra nt chain, the “Go Green 2003” has evo lved to
be come a national multi-stakeholder env i ro n m e nt awa reness ca m-
p a i g n . This UNDP- s u p po rted pro j e ct was officially launched on
Wo rld Env i ro n m e nt Day, 5t hJune 2003, to enco u rage co rpo rate soc i a l
re s po n s i b i l i ty on env i ro n m e ntal issues. It marks an effe ct i ve part-
nership be tween UNDP, the Mi n i s t ries of Env i ro n m e nt and
Ag ri c u l t u re, and the pri vate sector - Coca - Co l a ,Te t ra Pa k , Ba rter Ca rd
and Scht ro u m p f. "I hope that you can wo rk on the school level – pro-
moting env i ronmental awa reness be cause children are the basis of
s oc i e ty and we can pro te ct our co u n t ry if we kn ow how to avoid ru i n i n g
n a t u re ", said Abir Ba l m o u n i of the Lebanese Un i ve r s i ty, a part i c i p at-
ing student in the Ph o to Tour of this initiat i ve.
St u d e nts part i c i p ating in UNDP and Scht ro u m p f’s Go Green 2003, an env i ro n m e ntal awa reness pro j e ct in partnership with Te t ra p a k , Coca Cola and Ba rter Ca rd
" One of the most exciting things we have done in this
co u n t ry is suppo rting and being a part of the Yo u t h
Mobilisation Pro j e ct in partnership with UNDP’s Po s t -
Co n f l i ct Soc i o - Economic Rehabilation of So u t h e rn
Lebanon Prog ra m m e. It re p re s e n ted a pe rfe ct co m b i-
nation of part n e r s, a po l i t i ca l ly oppo rtune initiative, a
s t ra tegic choice to wo rk in the new ly libe ra ted So u t h ,
t a rgeting a cri t i cal group for re conciliation– yo u t h .
Wa tching the youth of So u t h e rn Lebanon emerg e
f rom 22 years of Is raeli oc c u p a t i o n , discussing their
i n te r- co n fessional re l a t i o n s h i p s, women's rights and
youth co n ce rns made me realise that even though the
whole wo rld was not going to change after this pro j-
e ct,the sparks that came out of those discussions we re
p recious enough to just be witnessed."
Michel Rentenaar
De p u ty Head of Mi s s i o n ,Embassy of the Ne t h e rl a n d s
Youth Participation
Youth constitute one fifth of the population
in Lebanon,facing challenges in employ-
ment and social and political participation.
UNDP’s 1998 National Human Development
Report on Youth and Development elabo-
rates opportunities in all sec tors that support
the socio-economic and political integration
of youth – so that their voices are heard in
national debates and their skills and aspira-
tions are integrated in development goals.
UNDP in partnership with related govern-
ment ministries, UN agencies and UN
Volunteers target youth in various pro-
grammes:
Re-integration and Socio-
Economic Rehabilitation of the
Displaced Programme
With thousands of internally displaced peo-
ple following the civil war in Lebanon,UNDP
in partnership with the Ministry of the
Displaced attempts to mobilise youth from
different displaced and returnee communi-
ties in summer camps, workshops, joint com-
munity initiatives, environmental activities
and reconciliation efforts.
Post-Conflict Socio-Economic
Rehabilitation of Southern
Lebanon Programme
Operating in villages of the former occupied
south of Lebanon,this initiative has an out-
reach of dozens of villages and hundreds of
youth participating in youth clubs within a
network of community development centres.
Through those centres, UNDP with the
Ministry of Social Affairs equip youth with
practical information technology applica-
tions that enable youth to develop better
communication skills and create diverse
channels for interaction.
Policy Framework
The National Human Development Report
on Youth and Development 1998 exposes
a myriad challenges facing youth and poten -
tial opportunities for participation. UNDP
seeks to engage public stakeholders and
the UN Inter-Agency Youth Task Force in a
coherent results-oriented framework to
provide more opportunities for youth to lead
a healthy and active lifestyle. Examples
include parliamentary sessions used as plat-
forms for focused policy recommendations
to the government.
"Young people represent the best agent for change…your task is to build a stronger
society…dream of it;design it;build it." Kofi Anan, Secretary General of the United
Nations - National Human Development Report 1998
In partnership with AGFUND and the Mi n i s t ry of
Social Af f a i r s, UNDP implemented the pro j e ct,
“St rengthening Institutions for the Deve l o p m e nt of
Women Ent re pe n e u r s” as a means to enhance the
s oc i o - e conomic conditions of poor women thro u g h
i n c reased part i c i p ation in small and medium-size
e nte rp ri s e s. UNDP provided institutional suppo rt to
the Mi n i s t ry and ten co m m u n i ty deve l o p m e nt ce n-
t res to co n d u ct in-serv i ce spe c i a l i zed tra i n i n g.
Hu n d reds of women ent re p reneurs and tra i n e r s
we re trained on gender ori e nt at i o n , basic living
s ki l l s, business awa re n e s s, and access to cre d i t
s c h e m e s.
Gender and Development
UNDP puts gender issues at the core of all
its programmes – ensuring women’s access
to the benefits of development and
strengthening their role in decision making
both at the local and national levels. This is
achieved through various initiatives:
➜ Inter-agency initiatives that help UNDP
make gender a visible and critical issue on
the national agenda.
➜ Integrated community development pro-
grammes that promote productive activities
benefiting women in poor households.
➜ Mainstreaming gender in an effort to
influence policies and programmes and
promote changes for the benefit of women.
UNDP in regional collaboration with ESCWA
on the Development of National Gender
Statistics Programmes aims to strengthen
national capacity in the production,use and
dissemination of statistics related to gender
issues.
➜ Analysing the situation of Lebanon with
regards to development deficits concerning
women. One of the issues underlined in
the Arab Human Development Report, was
the empowerment of women from the
perspective of citizenship laws and women
in decision-making. Discussion series are
co-sponsored by UNDP and the Lebanese
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in
partnership with civil society and parliamen-
tarian committees.
"Worse outcomes for women in many aspects of human development result from
the fact that their voices have less impact than men’s in the decisions that shape their
lives"… Human Development Report 2002
Management and Support
UNDP works towards strengthening the
capacity of the government and people to
effectively manage projects and
programmes, and to raise the level of its
policy efficacy. It collaborates with the
Council for Development and Reconstruction
(CDR) -the national counterpart of UNDP –
and is directly involved in rehabilitation and
reconstruction efforts but adopts a suppor-
ting role to national execution in diverse
ways such as:
➜ Providing quality technical expertise .
➜ Transferring best practice with continuous
emphasis on monitoring and evaluation.
➜ Targeting improved programme delivery
and resource mobilisation techniques.
➜ Promoting the full use of national profes-
sionals in programmes and using expatriate
knowledge through the TOKTEN facility.
➜ Ensuring logistical and operational
management capacity including procure-
ment, recruitment and financial services.
➜ Strengthening partnership and experi-
ence sharing between civil society and the
private sector in project implementation.
"Our commitment to development makes us advocates of change and our wide,
decentralized presence keeps UNDP close to development issues, resources and
thinking”. Mark Malloch Brown,UNDP Administrator
" The UN is the organisation of the people and its ro l e
as a multilate ral institution is cru c i a l , whether in fac-
ing global challenges part i c u l a rly trade re l a ted issues
and sustainable deve l o p m e n t, or in facilitating co -
o rdination be tween civil soc i e ty and gove rn m e n t s.
One of the pri o ri ty issues we wo rk on as Arab NGO
Ne two rk for Development is awa reness raising and
ca p a c i ty building of Arab civil societies to enable them
to monitor the implementation and the re s pe ct of the
o u tcomes of the UN Su m m i t s, m u l t i l a te ral agre e-
ments and proce s s e s. Pa rt n e ring with UNDP on a
Ca p a c i ty Building Wo rkshop on Globalization and
Global Trade was ve ry substantive be cause it helpe d
us gain essential kn owledge from re s o u rce persons on
the global aspe cts of trade and spe c i f i ca l ly the inte r-
nal process of WTO - all of which we re essential to our
awa reness and lobbying act i v i t i e s. "
Ziad Abdel Samad
Executive Director
Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND)
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations House
Riad El-Solh Square - Beirut, Lebanon
Telephone:(961) 1 981 301
Facsimile:(961) 1 981 521
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:www.undp.or g.lb
UNDP is the UN’s global development network,advocating for change and connecting countries
to knowledge experience and resources to help people build a better life.