News updates

An Nahar daily published an article featuring the absence of sex education in the national curriculum while shedding some light on the increased incidents of sexual child abuse on the internet. In this respect, an official at the Education Center for Research and Development (ECRD) told the newspaper that the biology syllabus for the 8th grade had tackled back in 1997 the topic of reproduction among living organisms, including human beings. He noted that learners in this age group would supposedly have reached adolescence and biological maturity; however, some religious authorities objected to this and pressured political authorities to cancel the subject. The latter was eventually integrated in the curriculum and thoroughly taught in the third secondary class under the biology topic and partially in the second secondary under the humanities topic. In his response to the assumption that ‘sex education might lead to an increased practice of sex among young adult students’, the ECRD official pointed out that the national curricula does not present sex education as a subject, but merely provides students with information in a scientific method respectful of their age to prevent them from seeking out unreliable and misleading sources through friends, pornographic magazines or films. He further confirmed that the new curriculum related to reproductive health elaborates the topic of fertility through providing the adequate knowledge and skills that help learners protect themselves against sexual abuse or harassment. For his part, Andre Andraos, president of ‘Bikaffe’ organization to stop child sexual abuse expressed regrets over the absence of sex education from school curricula as their presence in the curricula will enlightens students on the dangers of sexual harassment on the internet and otherwise. In this respect, Bikaffe data have shown that one child out of 6 children are subjected to sexual abuse and that 75% of them do not speak up. Andraos revealed that his organization is presently drafting a law in collaboration with psychologists and lawyers to be submitted later to the Ministry of Education in this regard. He disclosed that a large number of schools are refusing to cooperate with his organization in awareness-raising campaigns for fear of discovering incidents of sexual abuse within their premises. Andraos concluded by stating that his organization is providing assistance to victims of sexual abuse through various physical, psychological, legal care and treatment services. (An Nahar, 20 July 2015)

In an interview with An Nahar newspaper, founder of Non-Violence University for Human Rights, Dr. Ugarit Younan, noted that the personal status law which she drafted with Dr. Walid Salibi, has been on the agenda of the common parliamentary committees since 2011. Younan pointed out that the Civil Campaign for Personal Status which is an umbrella for concerned associations and individuals will resume its action after a forced break imposed by the paralysis in political life, which the Campaign stigmatized. Meanwhile, the Campaign produced a booklet featuring a synopsis of studies on personal status laws and proposed various alternatives to contract civil marriage. “There is no state law as such in Lebanon, the governance of personal status in the country is assigned to confessional authorities by virtue of the Constitution,” Younan said while highlighting the major contradiction in Lebanese law and practices of citizen rights. On one hand Article 9, she explained, ensures respect of the personal status systems of the different religious sects, it does not necessarily mean confining the subject of personal status to those sects. On the other hand, the Constitution as stipulated in Article 19 has granted leaders of confessional groups the right and authority to appeal in the event of any case that violates their personal status systems. Based on this, Younan demanded that the Government develops a personal status law for all citizens, indicating that no country in the world is in a similar situation except Lebanon. She went on to say that Lebanon has a firm and progressive ground for civil marriage despite the present dire sectarian atmosphere, and criticized the fact that the media only focuses on extremism. Finally, Younan concluded that women’s rights are better preserved and protected by civil marriage as confessional laws are largely discriminatory against women at all levels. (An Nahar, 16 July 2015)

The World Bank said that the Lebanese economy is suffering from numerous structural hurdles which curtailed its growth and its capacity to create employment and hence undermined the chance of ending poverty and inequality. In its report entitled ‘Promoting Reduced Poverty and Common Prosperity- Systematic Diagnosis of Lebanon 2015’, the World Bank noted an a domestic growth rate of 12.9% in the period between 1991 and 1995, dropping to 1.7% with the outbreak of the war in Syria in 2011. According to WB data, real economic growth rate recoded 4.4% for the period of 1997-2009, against only 1.1% for employment. The report pointed out to three key sectors which contributed to the creation of jobs in 2004-2009: trade (created some 100 thousand new jobs), services (50 thousand jobs) and construction (16 thousand jobs). However, the World Bank study noted that the economy’s major dependence on the service sector - which accounted to nearly 74% of the GDP between 1997 and 2011 and which was hit by various security and political crisis, led to major cuts in employment opportunities especially for qualified persons. The study also revealed that the capacity of business institutions to create jobs was hampered by various factors, namely political instability, weak infrastructure, particularly electricity supply, and corruption. In addition, the WB highlighted the fact that financial institutions do not provide adequate support to small or medium enterprises. (L’Orient Le Jour, 14 July 2015)

The president of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon IDAL, Nabil Itani, announced that the implementation of the Cabinet decision to support agricultural and industrial exports will start in early August pointing that the delay was due to a delay in publishing of the relevant decree and the absence of sufficient number of Ro-Ro vessels to transport the trucks loaded with Lebanese goods. Itani confirmed that IDAL has commissioned Lebanese shipping agencies to look for carriers in the Mediterranean countries and has assigned specialized companies to inspect the compliance of the products bound for export according with international specifications while ensuring that products are effectively of Lebanese origin. Itani expected some 200 thousand tons of agricultural produce and some 500 trucks loaded with industrial goods to benefit from the LBP 21 billion allocation over a period of 7 months, on the basis of as subsidy amounting to USD1750-2250 per truck. IDAL president revealed that until now he did receive the expected implementation decrees, noting however that the latter is ready and was signed by 18 ministers. He also noted that specialized sections in IDAL are coordinating actions, particularly those working on the AGRO PLUS program for support of agricultural exports and have extensive experience in the field.
(Al Mustaqbal, 14 July 2015)
For more information, please refer to the two news below:
- Cabinet support to farming exports welcomed but considered insufficient
- Little information on the mechanism for subsidizing agricultural sea exports

A new food safety project has kicked off this week in the Baalbaq - Hermel region with the support of a team of specialists trained in HACCP (Hazard Analysis &Critical Control Point food safety management system) and targeting various business of the area. The initiative which is a pilot for the local community sectors will be implemented by the Municipality of Baalbek in collaboration with 6 federations representing, Baalbaq, West Baalbaq, North Baalbek, East Baalbaq, Al Shallal and Hermel. The project protocol was signed between the said unions, the Islamic Health Society and Community Action Society. The number of establishments which will be targeted, based on a survey, comprises some 4500 food establishments, including bakeries, restaurants, meat shops, slaughter houses, fish markets and food stores. The implementation of the program commences with the organization of guidance and orientation workshops for food company owners on how to attain the best conditions for their facilities in terms of hygiene, tool disinfection and safety, storage, sources and production dates of food products. Qualified food establishments are expected to receive an ISO certificate. To be noted, that the project will have an annual budget of USD 220 thousand that will largely be raised from the member federations. (As Safir, 11 July 2015)

Agricultural cooperatives, associations, farmers and exporters in Akkar, have reiterated their demand for the opening of the Kleiat Airport, as an air shipping facility that could contribute to resolving the crisis of exports and addressing the difficulties in marketing of thousands of tons of agricultural and animal products. These demands come at a time when the Cabinet is busy working on finding alternative routes for exporting and discussing the mechanism of implementation of the recent decision to support maritime transport. The launching and operation of the said airport is an old aspiration sought by Akkar residents as it would stimulate development and services in this endemically impoverished region. The opening of the Kleiat airport will go hand in hand with the setting up of free economic zone that could host light industries, economic and banking enterprises which in turn are bound to attract investments and create thousands of jobs for the local population. To this effect, the unified committees for the reopening of Rene Moawwad Airport in Kleiat appealed once more to all political parties to exert serious efforts to this end. Hamed Zakaria, a follow-up committee member pointed that the obstacles are not technical but purely political adding that successive governments were unable to agree on that decision. Finally, he revealed that the Committees will soon undertake an advocacy action directed towards the Serail in order to press for their demand. (As Safir, 11 July 2015)

The industrial sector reportedly will need to start complying with the US food safety regulations regarding imports in accordance with the new US ‘Food Safety Modernization Act FSMA’ which will enter into effect this forthcoming August. The Vice President of the Lebanese Industrialist Association, George Nasrawi, pointed out that the new regulations have effectively given the US the right to monitor the food factories that export to its territories through an assigned inspector. Speaking to Al Diyar newspaper, Nasrawi complained that the Lebanese industrial production is facing high production costs compared to neighboring countries that are fiercely competing with Lebanon in the US markets. He urged the Lebanese Government to support the production process by subsidizing the high cost inputs, particularly, electricity and fuel. He said unlike Lebanon, many Arab countries support their local industries through financial contributions to the operational cost or by creating the favorable infrastructure. “For that reason, GCC states are now competing with our exports on foreign markets,” Nasrawi said, citing the imports of ‘potato chips’ which are flooding our markets. He finally appealed to the Lebanese government to salvage and support domestic industries in order to restore its competitiveness on international markets. (Al Diyar, 11 July 2015)