SDG16: PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
Peace: The Lebanese Armed Forces have retaliated to a series of terrorist threats and conducted successful military operations that protected Lebanon’s borders and managed to hunt down a number of terrorist cells in different districts within the country.
Justice: All fundamental rights and freedoms are enshrined in the Lebanese constitution. Moreover, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are part of the Lebanese constitutional bulk, as they are mentioned in the preamble of the Lebanese constitution. Consequently, the Lebanese authorities are committed to take measures in order to guarantee rights in the following areas: Reducing violence, people trafficking, pre-trial detention, birth registration, independent national human rights institutions, reduced inequalities, the
Modernization of the Lebanese Judicial System program, the Advancing Juvenile and Criminal Justice in Lebanon program.
Strong institutions: The public-private partnership (PPP) law was also ratified in 2017. The PPP law will be applied to government and municipality projects, such as infrastructure. A public procurement law that is expected to enhance the transparency and efficiency in contracting has been sent to parliament. The Higher Council for Privatization and Partnership will be the authorized party for approving, launching, and managing projects, and it will act as the liaison between the private sector and government bodies.
In April 2018, OMSAR launched a national anti-corruption strategy and its implementation plan outlining four main strategic objectives: (i) enshrining transparency; (ii) activating accountability; (iii) limiting discretion in public administration; and (iv) ending impunity – in addition to the action required for their effective implementation. The preparation of a plan for its implementation is currently underway, with assistance from UNDP, and is to be completed in 2018. Parliament is also expected to adopt legislation for the establishment of a National Anti-Corruption Commission. Furthermore, OMSAR developed a comprehensive strategy for government digitization. OMSAR also has worked with both, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism on automating their systems to simplify their processes and procedures for citizens.
The Government has submitted to Parliament a draft law on “Enhancing Transparency in the Petroleum Sector in Lebanon”, which contains most of the provisions of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The draft law has been recently approved by the Parliament’s Energy Committee and is on course to be ratified by the Lebanese Parliament General Assembly.
To respond the Lebanese government strategy related to strong institutions, peace and justice, the Lebanese University strives to consolidate relation between academic and legal sector, especially through its faculty of law and political sciences, and its doctoral school for law, political and administrative sciences.
The Lebanese University implemented a joint master for five years with la Sapienza University and the Holy Spirit of Kaslik entitled Peace and development with the support of the Italian embassy in Lebanon, aiming to promote human rights and values between Lebanese citizens and The Master’s program is addressed to 20 students from the two mentioned Lebanese universities, provide geopolitical issues in the field of International Relations, in the light of the new role that universities can play in promoting cooperation among people and nations, with a special focus on the most sensitive and critical areas.
Cooperation agreement renewal between the Lebanese University and Sassari University
The Lebanese University established an agreement on 24 June 2019 (doc 75) with the Lebanese General Security Directorate dedicated to developing exchanges between the of information and using the laboratories and scientific centers aiming to develop the knowledge and skills of the members of each institution.
The Lebanese University established an agreement 23 February 2015 (doc 76) with the Arab Institute for Parliamentary Training and Legislative Studies aiming to enable students to perform training in legislation field for example law studies, state budget, and role of parliamentary committee.
The Lebanese University established an agreement with the Beirut Bar Association for lawyers (doc 77) enabling students to perform training in the law and legislation field.
The Lebanese University established an agreement on 17 December 2007 (doc 78)
enabling students from the Lebanese army institution to pursue their studies at the Lebanese University faculties by teaching joint program in the field of common interest.
The Lebanese University established an agreement on 20 June 2004 (doc 79) enabling students from the Lebanese army institution to pursue their studies at the faculty of medical sciences of the Lebanese University.
The Lebanese University organized a seminar entitled migrants, refugees et displaces in cooperation with Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie in the Middle-East and in cooperation with other universities in Lebanon, enabling participants to develop knowledge related to refugees and destabilized people regarding rights, higher education, legislation and other topics concerning their life.
A group of students and students of the Faculty of Law, Political and Administrative Sciences at the Lebanese University achieved advanced results after their participation in the Inter-University Program on International Criminal Law and International Criminal Procedure ( IUP-ICLP ), which has been organized since 2011 in cooperation with the Asir Institute in The Hague ( TMC - Asser Institute ), the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ( STL), and the Resource Center for International and Transitional Justice ( ITJRC)
Out of eleven local universities, the Lebanese University participated, through the Faculty of Law, Political and Administrative Sciences, in the program in its eighth edition, and the two students, Lara Ibrahim and Rana Abu Jaber, won the first place with a score of 95/100, and the following are the names of the winners and winners who obtained scores of more than eighty out of a hundred in the two branches First, second and French branch:
Lara Ibrahim, Rana Abu Jaber, Sirin Yahya, Fatima Mishik, Elisa Abu Faisal, Jessica Al-Bustani, Strida Saghbini, Fatima Haidar, Robin Madi, Maribal Al-Safadi, Fatima Fakhreddin, Charbel Zogheib, Rawan Youssef, Eva Aziz, Mark Sfeir, Faris Abi Khalil, Mohamed Amr, Diana Khamis, Clara Bou-Gharios and Noor Al-Yaman.
The Lebanese University – Faculty of Law, Political & Administrative Sciences (Branch 4) organized a seminar discussing the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”, which was signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb.
Judge Bashir Mortada, President of the Jaafari Court in Beirut, and Father Tony Kadmani participated in the seminar, which was held on 3 March 2019 and presented by Dr. Maryam Tarshishi.
Under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, represented by Dr. Mustafa Alloush, the Lebanese University - Faculty of Law, Political & Administrative Sciences (Branch 3) organized the “Arab Moot Court Competition” in its 6th edition (2019), which took place from 16-18 April 2019 with the participation of 18 teams from law schools in 14 Arab countries.
Dr. Kamil Habib, Faculty Dean called for strengthening academic and university cooperation between the various law schools in the Arab world, addressing special greeting to Palestine through its delegation from Birzeit University.
Former Kuwaiti Minister, Dr. Youssef Al-Ali delivered the speech of the Kuwait International Law School, praising the Lebanese University and the level of organization and preparation for this event, and called for such events which aim to provide an opportunity for Arab youth to meet and exchange ideas and experiences academically and legally.
Mr. Mohammed Al-Murad, Head of Tripoli Bar Association, stressed the need for the law to be an entry point to start the process of fighting corruption.
The Lebanese University – Faculty of Law, Political & Administrative Sciences (Branch 3), in cooperation with the Tripoli Bar Association, organized a mock trial in the presence of Muhammad Al-Murad, President of the Association, Bilal Harmoush and Zahra Al-Jisr, members of the Association, Judge Ahmad Rami Al-Hajj, Dr. Muhammad Alam El-Din, Director of the Branch, Dr. Jacqueline Ayoub, Director of the Faculty of Letters & Human Sciences (Branch 3), law professors, a number of lawyers, trainee lawyers, law students with their parents, and interested parties.
The Lebanese national anthem opened the event, then Dr. Muhammad Malas delivered a welcome speech in which he stated: " Lebanese University – Faculty of Law, Political & Administrative Sciences (Branch 3), in cooperation with the Tripoli Bar Association, has been used to organizing this unique mock trial at the national level, proof that the Faculty offers its students a great practical margin to apply their theoretical courses, develop their creativity and confront them with the real context of courts. "
He concluded: "The Faculty of Law has taught us that justice is composed of two elements: the judiciary and the legal profession. The Faculty is the force that helps the justice to triumph, through scientific preparation and good practical training".
The President of the Lebanese University, Professor Fouad Ayoub, received in his office at the Central Administration a delegation of student organizations, which included representatives of the Future Movement, the Amal Movement, the Progressive Youth Organization, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Lebanese Kataeb, the Arab Democratic Party, the Azm Movement, the National Dialogue Party and the Tashnag party.
The meeting discussed the affairs of the Lebanese University in light of the full-time professors’ strike and the possible solutions to end the strike, protect the students and preserve their future.
During the meeting, the participants stressed the need to protect the current academic year and the professor’s rights, in addition to preserving the university budget.