International Instruments

Conditions of Detention in Lebanon: Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

In Lebanon, prisons and detention centers are chronically overcrowded. The World Prison Brief ranks the Lebanese prison and detention system as the 34 most overcrowded in the world. Severe overcrowding in prisons and detention centers has resulted in conditions that pose a significant threat to the health, safety, and dignity of detainees. Only Roumieh prison [...]

The Situation of Civil Rights in Lebanon: A Joint Submission to the UPR

Lebanon has ratified most of the international human rights conventions including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the international Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (2000) and its Protocol (2008). Lebanon does not implement article 6 of the ICCPR. According to the Human Rights Committee, states [...]

Threats to Civic Space: Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

This submission is presented for consideration as part of the Universal Periodic Review Stakeholder Report. It includes a summary of the human rights conditions in Lebanon along with recommendations on how the Lebanese government can improve these conditions and put an end to violations. This report on freedom of religion and belief, freedom of expression [...]

Access to Education: Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

This submission is presented for consideration as part of the Universal Periodic Review Stakeholder Report. It includes a summary of the human rights conditions in Lebanon along with recommendations on how the Lebanese government can improve these conditions and put an end to violations Lebanon was among the first that signed the Convention on the [...]

The Human Rights Implications of Quarantine Measures to Address COVID-19

This policy brief builds upon and supports the National Human Rights Commission’s statement on the need to respect human rights in the response against COVID-19. As the National Emergency Task Force for COVID-19 plans to introduce further quarantine measures to contain and delay the spread of the virus it is critical that the human rights [...]

Keeping Track of Commitments

by Francisca AnkrahPrograms Manager, ALEF act for human rights The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has often been criticized by governments and NGOs alike as inefficient, which is certainly the case when states treat it exclusively as an elaborate reporting exercise that repeats itself every five years. The UPR’s purpose lies in its process more than [...]

Annual Report 2018

The Situation of Human Rights in Lebanon In 2018, the Lebanese government took some positive steps towards promoting human rights and showed willingness to comply with certain human rights matters. However, it clearly lacked the capacity and political will to further improve legislation, enforce laws, uphold the country’s international obligations, and create meaningful change. This [...]

Progress on the Recommendations of the Second Cycle of Lebanon’s Universal Periodic Review: the Rights of Migrants and the Prohibition of Slavery and Trafficking

Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon face widespread human rights violations and poor protection caused by the sponsorship system, among other violations, that transforms the status of migrant workers to victims of trafficking as well as by the weak Lebanese protection framework which renders migrant workers constantly at risk of abuse. As the violations to their [...]

Prohibition of slavery and trafficking: Following up on commitments of Lebanon’s 2015 Universal Periodic Review

Lebanon is a destination country for internationally trafficked persons, primarily women. Women from different countries of origin travel to Lebanon, in the belief that they will work as domestic workers and have reportedly been forced into domestic servitude and sexual exploitation. This paper presents the results of a monitoring report that rates key duty bearers [...]

Promotion and Protection of Rights of Migrant Domestic Workers: Following up on commitments of Lebanon’s 2015 Universal Periodic Review

Although Lebanon has supported, and hence committed to several UPR recommendations to improve the situation of MDWs, their situation remains unchanged. In response to these shortcomings, this paper presents the first results of a Monitoring Report that rates key duty bearers on their progress between 2015 and 2018 in achieving recommendations from Lebanon’s 2015 UPR [...]