Resident Coordinator's Remarks at the Launch of the National Social Protection Strategy

Your Excellency Prime Minister Najib Mikati, 

Excellencies, 

Distinguished participants and colleagues,   

Good morning to all, 

In the face of the multiple crises the country has been grappling with since 2019, the launch of the National Social Protection Strategy today represents Lebanon's commitment to concrete social reforms, a cornerstone in the overall recovery of the country and the people. 

The development, adoption, and soon the implementation of the strategy represent a critical shift in social policy-making among Lebanese decision-makers moving away from fragmented silos to a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach to social protection – which is a right to every citizen.

Lebanon lacks a comprehensive universal social protection system which undermined socio-economic rights and widened inequalities for years and has further limited potential for inclusive, human-centered growth and development.

The actual work on the strategy started five years ago when the Ministry of Social Affairs called for Lebanon’s first-ever national dialogue on social protection, with the technical support and assistance from UNICEF, and ILO teams. The strategy is a collective effort resulting from the involvement of Government, development partners, civil society, and academia.

In 2021, an ambitious draft was presented to the Government which was reviewed by the ministerial Committee on Social Policy who led the revisions moving forward.

Council of Ministers (COM) decision No. 69/2022 was obtained in May 2022 defining vision and strategic objectives and suggesting further revisions, that were processed and concluded, and the adoption decision was obtained by COM on Nov 1, 2023.

My office in Lebanon has been closely following up on the clearance process of the strategy due to the strategic and operational importance it encompasses, especially as a comprehensive and unified vision to the sector with its respective strategic orientations and priorities set that also crosscut with donor and UN-led responses and strategic frameworks.   

We commend the government on including critical and much-needed reforms at the core of the strategy. 

The establishment of a robust legal and policy framework, the implementation of integrated contributory and non-contributory social protection schemes, measures for enhanced integration and coordination across programs, and the development of governance structures, institutional capacities, and administrative infrastructure within governmental entities are critical building blocks for the way forward. 

On this note, the financial sustainability of social protection programs and initiatives will have to depend on the creation of necessary fiscal spaces and safeguarding social spending in the national budget and less on bilateral donor support – which is decreasing. 

Notably, the strategy places a strong emphasis on disability inclusion and gender mainstreaming, integrating these principles throughout the reforms for a more equitable and accessible social protection system. 

The forthcoming actions will have to center on moving towards the implementation of the strategy. We will remain supportive of any capacity building and technical assistance needed to ensure a government-led coordination architecture, positioned at both the overarching strategic level and the specific pillars within the framework of the strategy.

Thank you.