In the summer of 2015, Lebanon’s streets were lined with trash. Sukleen, a trash company’s, contract was up and parliament could not decide who would be replacing it. The smell became so unbearable thousands of Lebanese rose to the streets in protest. A campaign that gained international fame called You Stink was thought to be [...]
Lebanon’s 20th century civil war not only destabilized Lebanon, but also devastated the country’s development and protection of human rights. Its domestic legal order is now dysfunctional and often does not operate independently from the government. Today, the judicial system is subject to the whimsical decisions of statesmen and is constantly hijacked by opposing forces, [...]
According to the UNHCR, by the end of September 2013, there were over 700,000 registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and more than a million on Lebanese territory. Three quarters of the refugee population are women and children, spread out over 1,200 locations in Lebanon. Most of the Syrian refugees live in the Bekaa valley and [...]
Lebanon’s crippling, fifteen-year civil war and corrupt political system have created pitiable law enforcement practices and inadequate legislation that do not protect the rights and freedoms of the suspect, accused or convicted. Today, research has revealed that there is rampant arbitrary detention in Lebanon. Suspects are routinely held in police stations or courthouse holding cells [...]
Since 2005, Lebanon has been experiencing increased political instability. While the overall level of human rights protection has improved, this improvement depends on the political priorities of individual ministers rather than coherent policy decisions. It is also frequently affected by armed conflicts and clashes. There are reports of political interference in the judicial process, and [...]
In the years following ALEF’s first report on torture in June of 2008, the Lebanese government has taken on several projects towards the protection of their citizens from torture. The most important of which is the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention Against Torture (OPCAT). The subsequent issuance of ministerial decree [...]
The Universal Period Review (UPR) is a human rights mechanism developed in March, 2006, by the General Assembly Resolution 60/251. This resolution established the Human Rights Council (HRC), a body made up of 47 member states. The HRC periodically reviews the performance of the 192 UN member states in regards to their implementation of human [...]
Since 1991, Lebanon’s society has been unstable. War, occupations and state corruption have left its political system and social programs weakened and tensions high amongst religious groups. The effects of Lebanese politics on the state and its residents, coupled with permissive attitudes towards violence, hate speech, and dehumanization of “the other”, allows people to rationalize [...]
Lebanon has adhered to a number of human rights treaties that address health-related rights, and guarantee to protect the health of its population. Lebanon has a strong private health sector, nevertheless, there are vast regional health disparities amongst the population. The inefficiency of the healthcare system, high cost of health insurance, unhealthy life conditions, and [...]
Lebanon is party to six core international human rights treaties, and is therefore obligated to submit periodic reports to the treaty body tasked with monitoring the implementation of each international convention. The Lebanese government has worked to apply international and national regulations within the framework of the Lebanese constitution, requiring them to undertake a series [...]
