This project aimed to mobilise support for Lebanon’s National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) among relevant stakeholders by creating spaces for dialogue to promote its implementation and provide recommendations. Within the framework of the project, ANND organised a national consultation, bringing together representatives from international organisations, members of parliament, and civil society—including local non-governmental organisations, trade unions, and the private sector—to identify ongoing efforts and discuss the enablers and steps needed to strengthen support for the strategy’s implementation. The national consultation and subsequent validation workshop and bilateral meetings highlighted the key role of civil society in ensuring the realisation of the NSPS, raising awareness of its importance, monitoring its implementation and ensuring accountability, building coalitions, and advocating for its implementation and the adoption of relevant legislations and strategies among government entities. The project culminated in an advocacy plan and a position paper based on the main outcomes of the meetings held that proposes actions for civil society to ensure effective enforcement of the right to social protection. Through engaging local policy actors in the identification of enables and barriers, and in the development of an advocacy plan for strengthening and mobilising political support and resources for Lebanon’s national social protection plan, it aimed to enhance ownership of the advocacy plan among them, thus responding to the research question related to “Political will and resource mobilisation.”
DOI: 10.48352/uobxmenasp.0016
Authors:
Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director (Arab NGO Network for Development), Manar Zaiter, Programme Manager (Arab NGO Network for Development) and Maysa Baroud, Senior Research and Programme Officer (Arab NGO Network for Development)
This project is supported by the Middle East and North Africa Social Policy Network (MENASP) at the University of Birmingham, in the framework of its ‘strengthening social welfare and security in the MENA region’ research programme, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Global Challenges Research Fund.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Middle East and North Africa Social Policy (MENASP) Network or the University of Birmingham.