UN Country Team Position Paper to the International Monetary Fund

Against a complex crisis context in Lebanon with the additional impact of the Beirut Port explosions (4 August 2020), this position paper outlines the UN’s recommendations to ensure that Lebanon builds better while leaving no one behind. Its purpose is to inform and contribute to the IMF technical discussions on required reforms, processes and programmes based on the UN’s expertise and knowledge in the social, environmental, governance and economic aspects. It is important to take into consideration and work to address people’s demands following the October 2019 demonstrations.

Guiding references that thread through the paper's chapters are the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its commitment to ‘leave no one behind’ and international human rights standards. The nine sections reflect a qualitative analysis by the UN system in Lebanon, discussing: a) the potential implications of reforms and measures formulated in the Government FRP; b) the key policy and programme recommendations; and c) the potential impact if recommended policies/programmes are not pursued or implemented.