Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights reviews report of Lebanon

Committee on Economic, Social
  and Cultural Rights 

27 September 2016

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today concluded its consideration of the second periodic report of Lebanon on its implementation of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights.

Introducing the report, Najla Riachi Assaker, Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations Office at Geneva, affirmed the determination on the part of the Government to promote human rights.  In 1948, Lebanon had been directly involved in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In spite of the dire repercussions of the Arab-Israeli war and the Syrian refugee influx on Lebanon, the country was doing its best to promote human rights.  In that respect, it had amended the legislation, including the law protecting women and families from domestic violence, the law relating to honour crimes, a law aiming to tackle trafficking in persons, and a law establishing a National Institution for Human Rights.

In the ensuing dialogue, Committee Experts inquired about the extreme poverty situation, the government debt, women’s labour rights, as well as the rights of minorities. They also inquired about the situation of persons with disabilities, particularly with regard to their employment.  Experts were particularly concerned about corruption, which allegedly plagued the entire country.  They were also concerned about the situation of Palestinian and Syrian refugees, who lived in deplorable conditions, and who lacked access to jobs.

In concluding remarks, Ms. Assaker acknowledged that 20 years had gone by since the initial report, but emphasized that the Government was committed to promoting human rights. Lebanon would always cooperate with the international community, but needed the support of the international community to help it in its efforts.

Azzouz Kerdoun, Committee Member and Co-Rapporteur for Lebanon, in concluding remarks, noted that the dialogue and debate had been fruitful, but Lebanon’s obligations remained. He hoped to see Lebanon resolve its obligations through governance and the rule of law.
Waleed Sadi, Committee Chairperson, hoped that the State party would take aboard the Committee’s concluding observations.
The delegation of Lebanon consisted of the representatives of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will next meet at 3 p.m. today to start the consideration of the fourth periodic report of the Dominican Republic: (E/C.12/DOM/4).

Report

The second periodic report of Lebanon on its implementation of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights can be read here: E/C.12/LBN/2http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRC%2fC%2fSLE%2f3-5&Lang=en.


Presentation of the Report
 
NAJLA RIACHI ASSAKER, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations Office in Geneva, affirming the commitment of the Government to human rights, reminded that in 1948, Lebanon had been directly involved in the drafting of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, following which it had ratified a number of international conventions. Relating to the difficulties experienced by the country in the past decades, as well as the current regional and internal situation, Ms. Assaker stated that Lebanon sometimes suffered existential issues. Nevertheless, the aim was to achieve a balanced progress along all regions of the country. The burden of government debt continued to weigh heavily on the country. In 2005, the stable period Lebanon had enjoyed since 1993 had finished with the death of the former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, which had led to a divide in the country, further exacerbated by the Israeli aggression in 2006.  The aggression had caused thousands of martyrs, orphans and persons with disabilities.  The spiralling violence had grown from the Israeli aggression and led to tragic consequences, as well as the birth of extremist ideologies; that was further exacerbated by the Syrian situation starting in 2011. Lebanon was trying to cope with the arrival of refugees, but it was not able to.  The humanitarian crisis was unprecedented and was bearing down on the society and the security in the country. Furthermore, the principle of coexistence, which allowed all religions to live in peace, was hindered by the influx of more than 1.5 million refugees from Syria.  Lebanon continued to house numerous incoming Palestinian refugees, who now amounted to 400,000. All of those challenges hindered the ability of the Lebanese Government to act.

The preamble of the Lebanese Constitution provided for several freedoms, including freedom of expression, assembly, establishing associations. The Constitution also ensured equality of all rights of all citizens. Lebanon had tried to improve its legislation, and had reformed several laws. Those included the law protecting women and families from domestic violence, the law relating to honour crimes, the law aiming to tackle trafficking in persons, and the law establishing the National Institution for Human Rights. With regard to employment and jobs, the Government was encouraging a social dialogue between the public and private sector, and was working to implement the international standards that it had adopted.  Lebanon had also focused on the right to families, which was firmly based on the customs and traditions on which the society was based. Particular efforts were made to protect women and children from violence. There was an increased focus on the most vulnerable people, particularly the marginalized and those with specific needs.  The needs of young people had been addressed, including in terms of education and employment. In the area of health, the Ministry of Health had made significant efforts to develop health services, with the focus on prevention, health care indicators, and the provision of care to all citizens. The number of public hospitals and private clinics had increased. Regarding security, Lebanon was on the front line, stressed Ms. Assaker.  When it came to education, it was explained that Lebanon attracted many students from neighbouring countries. The principle of free education was enshrined, and there was also further focus on tackling illiteracy among adults. The Government promoted cultural diversity, through supporting education programmes, among other initiatives.

Questions by Experts
 
WALEED SADI, Committee Chairperson, said that the Committee had heard an exhaustive speech. Acknowledging the difficult situation Lebanon faced, he stressed that the inability to elect a President was one of the things that had hindered the ability of country to cope with the situation. Many countries were currently facing similar problems, but perhaps the scale of those problems was the biggest in Lebanon. He reminded that the Covenant set out a series of principles which had to be respected in spite of challenges, including war.  One of those was the rights of women.  The challenges should not prevent the Government from implementing the essential provisions of the Covenant.
AZZOUZ KERDOUN, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur for Lebanon, acknowledging that the country was different from other Arab countries, remarked that Lebanon had always been like the “Switzerland of the Middle East”.  The circumstances faced by the country had changed, and were very difficult. Lamenting the fact that the answers in the report were too general and did not reply to the concerns of the Committee, Mr. Kerdoun said that no clear answers had been regarding the Constitution.

Lebanon was one of the first to ratify the Covenant, but the Committee had waited 20 years for the State party’s report, which was far too long.  The Government had 18 different religious groups, he acknowledged, but the Constitution only protected civil and political rights. It did not talk about social and cultural rights.  Allegedly, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights could be directly applicable in the courts.  Were there examples where courts had actually invoked the Covenant?  Did Lebanon intend to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol?  Were there plans to ratify the Refugee Convention, given the high number of refugees in Lebanon?

Highlighting a number of issues, the Expert stated that corruption was a gangrene that was eating away Lebanese society, lamenting that it was an accepted part of the culture.
On maximum available resources, the Expert noted that since 2005 there no official budget had been adopted. Therefore, information on allocation of resources was simply not available. The servicing of the debt accounted for 45 percent of the public expenditures, which amounted to over USD 65 billion per year. One of the difficulties here was corruption. There was a breakdown of the legal system, and there was no accountability of the legislative and executive branches. What measures were being taken or considered by the State in order to combat corruption? Did the State Party intend to take up the anti-corruption laws? What resources needed to be mobilised in order to reduce servicing of the debt? How did the State Party intend to redress the dire economic situation?

Nationality and transmission of nationality laws were discriminatory towards women, as were marriage rights. There was stigmatising of particular groups. Would the State Party undertake measures to combat discrimination against women and other marginalised groups, asked Mr. Kerdoun. Women’s labour rights were also of serious concern. The participation of women in the labour force was only 20 percent, while that of men was beyond 70 percent.  There was thus a huge gender labour gap. Was it possible to promote gender equality, and would women be able to carry out political authority one day?

SERGEI MARTYNOV, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur for Lebanon, asked the delegation to explain whether the Government had effective programmes adopted and implemented to combat the extremely high employment rate.

Could the delegation provide data on employment rate for persons with disabilities in the last five years?  Had Lebanon ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities? What was the reason for suspending the sanctions for employers who did not abide by the quotas for persons with disabilities?

In relation to the refugees and migrants who were flooding the country, was the Government aware that the current restrictions on the right of these persons to work was in violation of the Covenant, he asked.   

The Expert further asked a series of questions on the enforcement of legal provisions and the extent of compliance with the law. What enforcement measures were taken to ensure that the legal requirements were in fact implemented? He asked the delegation to provide statistical data on the comparison of the minimum wage to the minimum subsistence. There was also a problem of unpaid wages - what leverage was used to enforce on time payment of wages, and how were verbal contracts enforced?
On just conditions of labour in the informal economy, the State party had reported that those were covered under the Code of Obligation and Contract.  How did that Code safeguard the rights of the workers?  Was the State Party envisaging changing the legislation on the right to strike and the right to form a trade union?

Question was also asked on the plans by the Government to repeal the suspensions on the social welfare legislation with regard to pensions. What was the current situation with the three important intentions regarding the plans to improve the legislation on those issues?

Another Expert asked the delegation to address the alleged law that had been passed the day before regarding differential treatment between wives and husbands on the basis of their nationality.

Replies by the Delegation
 
With regard to the question related to the Constitution, the delegation explained that there was a hierarchical system which set out the priorities in the legislative system.  International treaties took precedence over domestic legislation.

Previously, Lebanese women had not been able to pass on their nationality when they married foreigners. This law used to be imposed on all foreigners.  Today, there was a new domestic law which granted any Lebanese woman marrying a foreigner the right to pass on her nationality to her spouse.  Husbands and children received rights of residence for a certain number of years. If born on the soil, the right of residence was given systematically.

Lebanese women had faced injustices in the past, the delegation acknowledged. However, today, women were free to travel without an authorisation from their husbands, have jobs, and so forth.  There were more women in public positions than men, including in the justice system.  It was true that the role of women in political circles was still low.
Regarding the question on the implementation of international treaties, the delegation said that they had to be ratified by the Parliament, and it was only then that those international instruments prevailed over national law.

Freedom existed at all levels, including freedom of belief and freedom of expression, and individual freedoms.  Economic and social and cultural rights were practiced. Magistrates had the right to arrest on the basis of discrimination, stated the delegation.   

In Lebanon education was of high quality, and one proof of that was the number of prizes received by Lebanese students abroad.

As for family violence, women and their children enjoyed protection under a recently passed law, which, inter alia, provided that a special person who dealt with such issues was placed in each court.  Violence in schools was also dealt with - ethical, moral and physical violence was prohibited in school.

The legislation on honour crimes was currently being amended. In the past, the husband could note that there was suspect of adultery, which would be seen as mitigating circumstances.  Men today had to prove that infidelity had been committed.

Minors under 18 years of age could not be imprisoned, explained the delegation.  Primary and secondary school were compulsory.

There was a persistent problem of unemployment, which was also due to the presence of Syrian refugees who were sometimes taking Lebanese nationals’ jobs.

Increased assistance was provided to persons with disabilities and their employment. Such persons had easier access to toilets in the airport and other public places.  There were exemptions for licenses for cars for persons with disabilities. They received free health care, and were given a priority when it came to jobs.

The delegation said that Palestinian refugees had access to property, while racial discrimination was combatted in all quarters.  Refugees also were provided with free health care.

On internal security, a decree had been passed in 2008 establishing the Department for Human Rights, tasked with defining human rights and raising awareness on the importance of human rights.         

In 2012, a National Human Rights Plan had been launched, due to be discussed in the Parliament.  The Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights was attempting to study all points under the National Plan.  Currently, the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights was trying to mainstream human rights in education.

There was a draft bill in the Parliament which would include provisions for gender equality and all forms of discrimination.  It would also have provisions against torture.
Lebanon had acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.

The Ministry for Social Affairs had launched all sorts of programmes to promote women’s rights and secure for them full access to economic, social and cultural rights. The delegation acknowledged that the current circumstances sometimes hindered women’s ability to fully enjoy those rights. Given that the Parliament was not meeting, it was not able to adopt legislation in that regard.  However, many initiatives had been taken. In cooperation with the Italian Embassy, a governance project had been launched aimed at promoting women’s participation in development and governance. A bill had been submitted to the Parliament in 2011 to step up women in governance. As part of it, media campaigns had been launched, and events had been organised targeting women in political parties. Numerous other projects had also been initiated along those lines.

In 2009, the Convention against Corruption had been ratified by the Parliament, and the Government had taken a number of steps in view to tackling the scourge of corruption. Legislation on illegal transactions had been launched, all in line with the Convention and with a view to strengthening the authorities’ roles in tackling corruption. In 2015, a law on money laundering and terrorism had been adopted. One of the biggest problems was that the Parliament had not met for years and thus the body to tackle corruption had not been established.

It was true that public debt had increased due to the arrival of refugees.  Those had to be housed, given food and water, and health care, as well as education.  Despite of all of that, Lebanon was still paying back its debt.

The delegation said that all workers, regardless of the sector, whether public, private, or informal, were entitled to a wage that was not below the minimum wage.  The informal sector was covered by medical alliances, family alliances and other benefits, and was given to Palestinian refugees registered in Lebanon.

Questions by Experts

An Expert noted that some studies estimated that 1.2 million Lebanese were living in poverty.  What were the criteria used to target the support given to target low-income Lebanese households?  Which complaints mechanisms were available for those who were excluded?

Regarding the rapidly increasing levels of rent, which steps had been taken by Lebanon to ensure that housing remained affordable, especially for marginalised groups?
The Expert was concerned that the Rent Act, which regulated the relationship between tenants and landowners, was unclear. Would it be amended?

Since 2015, Lebanon had been suffering from waste management problems, and thus there was a risk of cholera.  Access to potable water was a very critical issue. Could the delegation provide information on the steps taken to remedy the challenges of safe potable water and the management of waste?

A significant number of Palestinians registered by the United Nations Reliefs Work Agency lived in extreme poverty. Was the assistance provided by the Agency enough?

On the right to housing, the Expert was alarmed about the condition of the 12 refugee camps and the 42 informal settlements where Palestinian refugees lived.  According to information, the informal settlements were not supported by basic services, mainly because the municipalities did not have the basic funds to support them.  Which measures could be taken to ensure the full enjoyment of Palestinian refugees of their right to housing? What were the obstacles to permitting them to acquire real estate?

On the right to health, what measures were undertaken to reduce the quality gap between the private and public health institutions, asked the Expert.

Another Expert asked for a clarification in the legislation on compulsory education, and in particular whether it was applicable to all children or just Lebanese children.

Were persons with disabilities provided free education?

Clarification was sought on legal acts determining the legal status of ethnic minorities in the country.  Was there an exhaustive list of minorities, and what steps were taken to protect them?

Another Expert acknowledged the efforts to combat corruption, but asked the delegation to give a concrete example.

On the precedence of the international covenants in domestic law, was it true that also the decisions of the Arab League took precedence over domestic laws?

Was it true that waste treatment was dumped in the sea, asked the Expert.  The delegation was also asked to address Lebanon’s chronic problem with the electricity supply.
 
Replies by the Delegation

The delegation recalled some statistics regarding refugees, noting that the country hosted 1.6 million Syrian refugees, which made Lebanon one of the countries with the highest population density in the world.  It was the equivalent as if the entire populations of Belgium and Lithuania travelled to and settled in France in a short time-span.  The refugees were scattered across 1,600 towns and villages in Lebanon. The number of Syrian refugees sometimes exceed the number of local Lebanese in villages. The labour market situation was already difficult for the Lebanese, and it was therefore impossible for the country to provide work for Syrian refugees.  Lebanon had never refused refugees in insecure situations, but the presence of Syrian refugees in the country had to be temporary, and friends of Lebanon had to protect the country from the coexistence model.  Any demographic imbalance would threaten the existence of Lebanon.  The presence of Syrian refugees also had impact on Palestinian refugees.

Palestinian refugees were classified as a special category of refugees.  According to international conventions, it was necessary to preserve the cohesion of the Palestinian entity, and not to dilute their presence in different countries.  That was the reason why Lebanon did not grant citizenship to those particular refugees. They could not settle permanently in Lebanon because their return to their homes was provided for by international conventions.  The failure of the international community to provide for the Palestinian Refugees had necessitated the creation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). That was an international responsibility, not the responsibility of Lebanon.  The delegation asked how Lebanon could cope alone with the influx of refugees when even the international community could not meet its obligations.  In 2005, a committee for a dialogue with the Palestinian refugees had been created.  It was meant to improve the living conditions of Palestinian refugees, in particular in the camps.  The delegation stressed that the state provided land and basic infrastructure to UNRWA free of charge.

Regarding the illegal camps, the delegation explained that people there lived in very difficult conditions. The situation was close to chaos. The State could not control the development of those camps due to the lack of resources.  Lebanon believed that 40 percent of the Palestinian refugees lived in those illegal camps. Regarding property ownership, it was noted that Palestinians could own property and hand it down to their offspring without any restriction.  They also had a privileged access to health care service. Some care was entirely covered by the Lebanese State.  Palestinians were free to move anywhere on the territory of the country, unless they were being prosecuted.

The Government had taken steps so that expulsion measures meet international commitments. Housing loans were granted to allow the population to have access to decent housing. Special funds were also provided for young people. Officials and members of the military could obtain loans through cooperatives.  Some religious institutions had established homes in semi-rural areas at an affordable price. The central fund for the displaced had been created to help them back to have access to housing. It provided financial assistance to restore the displaced people’s damaged homes or secure access to new housing. The Bank of Lebanon supported the provision of credit and encouraged other banks to offer loans, including housing loans.  The Government had put in place a law to counter the negative effects of the rise in the prices of rent due to the influx of refugees.

It was acknowledged that child labour, especially children working in the streets, was a serious problem.  The arrival of refugees had prevented the Government from effectively tackling that scourge.  The State party had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Trafficking, and had created a Council for the Rights of Children, which acted as a national framework protecting children. Lebanon had also launched the National Strategy for the Promotion of Human Rights and ratified the Convention against Torture, which prevented abuse, including of children.  Eight percent of the street children were Palestinian, while 73 percent were Syrian; 50 percent were less than five years of age, while 43 percent were between five and fourteen. The Government made efforts to incorporate them into society regardless of their nationality.

The age of the minors had been increased to eighteen, informed the delegation. Many laws were in place, and the Child Protect Programme had been initiated. If the parents were responsible for abuse, their children were placed in institutions, whereupon the Ministry of Labour undertook their care.  However, currently the Ministry could not come to grip with the huge number of children, 70 percent of whom were of Syrian origin. The Ministry was working with the International Labour Organisation and other international and local organisations to create institutions to house them. The current focus was on ensuring the financial support.

In 2007, Lebanon had received funds from international organisations to set up an emergency and social safety net. The Life Programme that had been set up to that effect aimed to provide social services and assistance to the poorest families in Lebanon. It gave the right to all families, regardless of nationality or residency status, to request assistance.  The programme was based on a multi-indicator system, where indicators were measurable by family visits by social workers.  The poverty line now was about four USD per day.  Medical insurance was provided, with 64,000 poor beneficiaries of the health card.  Free enrolment of children in education was also provided.

On persons with disabilities, the delegation explained that an appropriate programme was in place, and the Pilot Centre for People with Disabilities had also been established. The programme allocated health cards to persons with disabilities, for which there were currently 95,000 beneficiaries, and ensured relevant care.  There were eight facilities throughout the country, and the programme provided services free of charge.  Persons who did not have a health card did not enjoy those benefits.  Persons with disabilities also enjoyed exemptions from various fees, including in transport, housing and other areas.  The number of persons in institutions was over 18,000.

Turning to the questions of minorities and the promotion of their cultural rights, the delegation replied that most of those groups enjoyed all their rights. They practiced their own religion, celebrated their festivals, and were influenced by and influencing the entire society.  They were entitled to benefit from the Artist Solidarity Fund.  Gypsies and Bedouins, however, given the specificity of Lebanese society, did not enjoy full cultural rights.

The delegation informed that, following new curricula, primary and secondary education had been integrated and were together called “basic education”, which covered all education up to 15 years of age.  It did not cover early childhood education, but the State party was considering making that compulsory as well.  There were three types of schools: official schools, which represented the majority; private schools, which were 13 percent of the schools and which had private funds, but were also financially supported by the Government; and private schools which were not sponsored by the Government. The enrolment rate in primary school was 90 percent, however it was declining in the secondary level mainly due to poverty issues.  Refugee children constituted two thirds of all children in schools.

There was an effort in place to increase the number of teachers, by way of having contracted teachers take exams in order to be able to fully teach.  Teachers had formal training and diplomas, and an ongoing continuous training was provided by a Centre for Continuous Training.  Psychological care was provided in schools, and in a number of schools medical experts raised awareness on matters of water, health care and hygiene. There was an increase in children with learning difficulties such as the attention deficit disorder, speech impediment and other problems, and the Government had launched a programme to ensure that those children had the specific help they needed. A policy to protect children from bullying was being currently developed.

Lebanon had ratified all International Labour Organisation Conventions except for one. The Government had launched a Pilot Programme in the north with the World Bank and other stakeholders in order to increase employment, and there were plans to spread that programme in the rest of the country.  The unemployment rate for Lebanese was currently 25 percent; there were no unemployment benefits.   The Government imposed a quota for the employment of persons with disabilities, but there were no statistics in that regard, and employers could not be sanctioned or pay fines for not doing so.  The weakness of the inspections was due to the lack of personnel. Currently there were only 26 inspectors in the Ministry of Labour, and a proposal for increasing that number was pending.  Regarding oral labour contracts, it was explained that inspectors could conduct surprise visits and look at wage records.  They could also impose fines on those who did not abide by the law.  There was no law to protect those who were in the informal labour market. There were, however, private pension and health insurance programmes.  There was an initiative in place to make the work of domestic workers abide by standards.

The delegation explained that there were public social security institutions, and nearly half of the population had medical coverage from one of those establishments.
 
Follow-up Questions

An Expert asked for a clarification of the welfare system that was in place.

Another Expert asked in what way the human rights principles could be more fostered in the communities in order to tap into the strength of the Palestinian and Syrian refugees. This may counteract the notion that refugees were overtaking the jobs of Lebanese.

An Expert said he had understood that the latest consideration of minimum wage had been in 2012. Had there been other considerations after this?

Another Expert was concerned that corporal punishment was still enforced in state schools. This had apparently lead to drop outs. Article 186 allowed for corporal punishment of children. Did the State Party intend to delete that Article?
 
Response by the Delegation

Regarding waste management, and the allegation by an Expert that waste was dumped into the sea, the Delegation stated that this was not true. There were standard dumps, and after the closure of the main site, two new sites had been chosen as alternative sites. As many as 500,000 m2 had been created for this purpose.

On corruption, the delegation said that there was a significant amount of oversight bodies which were given public funds. Perpetrators of embezzlement of funds were held accountable. Certain medical doctors at the Ministry of Public Health had been referred to the courts, as well as certain schools. In addition, a Minister had been charged with high charges for corruption, and another Minister had been imprisoned for bribery.  A partnership programme had been launched with the training of students as inspectors. Over 800 students had participated in that programme over the last two years.

The problem related to electric power had been further exacerbated by the influx of the huge number of refugees.  Lebanon was constructing five environmentally friendly factories to that effect, which would start operating in 2017.  Service providers would take the operation charge from start to finish. The Ministry of Electricity and Water was aiming to develop solar power plants.

The minimum wage had been defined in 2012, explained the delegation.

The delegation called upon the Committee to urge the international community to undertake its responsibilities towards the Palestinian and Syrian refugees.  During the London Conference, the international community had committed in that respect, but 80 percent of the outcomes of the conference commitments, however, remained on paper. The international community had not lived up to its pledges vis-a-vis the countries that were bearing the brunt of the influx of the refugees.  Only when the international community lived up to its commitments would Lebanon be able to meet the expectations.
 
Concluding Remarks

NAJLA RIACHI ASSAKER, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that 20 years had gone by since the first report. The country was paralyzed due to the legislative system.  The Government was aware of that and knew that the response to the List of Issues was not exhaustive.  Nonetheless, the Government was committed to promoting human rights, which was a tireless commitment, despite all the challenges it faced.  Lebanon would always cooperate with the international community.  It was always willing to fill the gaps when circumstances allowed it to do so, but it also needed the support of the international community.

AZZOUZ KERDOUN, Committee Member and Co-Rapporteur for Lebanon, thanked the delegation, noting that it was a high level delegation made up of mostly women, which was commendable. The issues discussed were difficult, but the dialogue had been necessary.  The responses had been consistent and the Committee had received a great deal of information. However, it was not always easy, especially given all the difficulties faced by Lebanon. The dialogue and the debate had been fruitful, but Lebanon’s obligations remained.  He hoped to see Lebanon fully fulfil its obligations through governance and the rule of law.

WALEED SADI, Committee Chairperson, found the answers very detailed and professional, and the quality of the responses had been impressive.  He noted that the delegation was fully committed. There were core obligations that nevertheless had to be met.  He hoped that Lebanon would take aboard the Committee’s concluding observations.