Posted in Sep 19, 2024

EU and UN Celebrate Completion of Key Project to Support Local Authorities in Lebanon

Beirut, 10 September 2024 – The European Union (EU), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), celebrated the successful conclusion of the Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project (MERP). Funded by more than US$16 million from the EU, the project has helped local authorities in Lebanon strengthen their services and resilience, especially in response to the Syrian crisis and Lebanon's economic struggles. The event, held under the patronage of H.E. Judge Bassam Mawlawi, Minister of Interior and Municipalities, represented by Ms. Faten Abou Hassan, Director General of Local Administrations and Councils, gathered representatives from municipalities, national institutions, NGOs, and policymakers. The conference focused on the challenges faced by local authorities and explored ways to improve their operations and support. Over the past five years, MERP has been working to improve the capacities of local authorities in Lebanon. The project helped municipalities engage in community-based planning, deliver better services, and support local economic development. MERP also worked closely with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities to strengthen the environment for local governance. In her remarks, Ms. Faten Abou Hassan said: “Lebanese municipalities have been hit hard by the economic crisis, with their revenues shrinking and their ability to serve communities under pressure. Despite these difficulties, our municipalities have shown great resilience, but they need continued support to function effectively. I call on donors to provide the assistance needed to overcome the challenges and help municipalities better serve their people.” Ms. Blerta Aliko, UNDP’s Resident Representative, stated: "The Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project has strengthened local authorities in Lebanon, helping both host communities and displaced populations. We look forward to building on this foundation and continuing our support for local authorities." Ms. Taina Christiansen, Head of UN-Habitat in Lebanon, added: "Through MERP, we have equipped local authorities with tools for better planning and service delivery. Our goal has been to improve local governance in Lebanon, and we hope to continue these efforts." Mr. Samy Saadi, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Lebanon, emphasized the EU's commitment: "The EU believes in the important role of local authorities in improving people’s lives, from providing essential services to driving economic development. Through MERP, we have supported municipalities in responding to their communities' needs, but it is now up to Lebanese authorities to continue empowering their municipalities." Following these opening remarks, MERP Project Manager, Ms. Rana El Khawand, gave a presentation highlighting the project’s key achievements. The event concluded with a panel discussion that brought together experts, policymakers, and development partners to discuss opportunities for enhancing local governance and economic development in Lebanon. For more info plz  click here  

Posted in Mar 10, 2023

Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils job description validation workshop, Friday 10 March 2023

The workshop programme: Project’s Introduction: Background, Purpose & Objectives DGLAC’s vision, mission, value Project’s timeframe & current status The Job Descriptions and the role of the Civil Service Board in this field Definition and importance of the job description: Definition and importance, with respect to the practice (De Facto) and the applicable laws and jurisprudence (De Jure)> Detailed explanation of the draft job description: Templates and individual JDs study/review> Focus group and plenary discussion. To access the event photo album click HERE.

Posted in Mar 02, 2023

Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils sheds light on municipal police in local governance

On the 2nd of July 2022, the Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils (DGLAC) organized a talk-show on “Municipal Police in Local Governance”. The talk-show was attended by municipal stakeholders, unions of municipalities, development partners, NGOs, CSOs, community representatives, and media. The objective of this episode was to raise awareness on the role of municipal police and its impact on local governance.   The talk show discussed, the importance of and the role of the municipal police within the Lebanese socio-political context, and its linkages with topics such as gender and inclusion. It will focus on the following topics: What is the role of municipal police, how does municipal policing differ from the role of other security institutions and why is community policing important? What are the challenges municipalities face related to the municipal police in general (legislative, financial, and socio-economic aspects/gender) as well as specific to the current context? What is needed to support and strengthen the role of the municipal police? What recommendations can municipalities provide? To access the event photo album click HERE.

Posted in Oct 13, 2022

Lebanese local authorities must support local economic development in current times of crisis

Beirut, 13 October 2022 – The Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils (DGLAC) invited municipalities and unions of municipalities (UoMs) to discuss local economic development and municipal crisis response during the fifth episode of the DGLAC talk show series that was held in Beirut on 13 October and broadcasted online. The talk show series is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), and funded by the European Union. The discussion highlighted the important role of municipalities and unions of municipalities in local economic development and the need for local authorities to contribute to a robust local economic development response within the context of the current economic crisis. The panel discussion and the Q&A session allowed municipal representatives and participants to think about their role in local economic development and explore possibilities for active policy-making that would help municipalities and unions of municipalities positively shape the economic future and well-being of their communities in partnership with private sector, civil society and development partners.   “We must support municipalities and unions of municipalities to enter into transparent partnerships with the private sector and generate revenues through innovative and creative means including through projects that invest in information technology, the environment and alternative energy - especially with the current electricity and fuel crisis.” Director General Faten Abou Hassan expressed during the discussion. She also reminded that “the municipal law encourages municipalities to initiate public activities and works that serve the community through the establishment of markets, parks, playgrounds, museums, hospitals, libraries, etc.” The DGLAC talk show series is delivered under the patronage of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, with support from the Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project (MERP). MERP is a joint initiative implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and is funded by the European Union through its Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis “Madad Fund”. DGLAC initiated the talk show series for mukhtars, municipalities and unions of municipalities, to discuss key topics of local concern. Two episodes were delivered during 2021, one on the updating of the municipal law and a second on the DGLAC support to local authorities to explore new ways to generate revenue within the current economic crisis. In 2022, DGLAC delivered two episodes, one on ways to strengthen the role of mukhtars in supporting local communities and the second on gender and local governance. DGLAC will continue the series, including this episode on local economic development and municipal crisis response. The next DGLAC talk show will be hosted in December 2022 and will focus on municipal/community policing. To access the event photo album click HERE.

Posted in Jul 28, 2022

Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils sheds light on gender and local governance

On 28 July 2022, the Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils (DGLAC) organized a talk-show on “Gender and Local Governance”. The talk-show was attended by municipal stakeholders, unions of municipalities, development partners, NGOs, CSOs, community representatives, and media. The objective of this episode was to raise awareness on the importance of gender equity and inclusion at the local level, including in terms of gender responsive municipal planning and service provision, as well as women’s participation and representation at municipal level, particularly in the run-up to the 2023 municipal elections. The 4th episode of the DGLAC talk-show series included key speakers and subject-matter experts who shared their views and concerns and discussed best practices and lessons learned around gender and local governance. Panelists included:  Ms. Faten Abou Hassan, Director General, DGLAC   Ms. Gaetane Wicquart, ACTED Country Director Mr. Joe Saad, Mayor of Rachaya Dr. Nuha Ghosseini, former Mayor of Baakline Ms. Randa Abboud, Secretary General of the National Commission of Lebanese Women (NCLW) The talk-show started with opening remarks by Ms. Faten Abou Hassan. This was followed by a presentation by Ms. Gaetane Wicquart on a wholistic initiative by ACTED to strengthen gender inclusion in municipal strategic planning.  Mr. Joe Saad, Mayor of Rachaya, then shared the experience of his municipality with the ACTED project. The talk-show then switched focus to discuss the importance of women’s political representation and barriers to participation in municipal elections, with contributions from Dr. Nuha Ghosseini and Ms. Randa Abboud. Panelists also discussed the needs to be addressed by government, international donors, and civil society organizations in order to strengthen gender inclusion in local governance. Click HERE to watch the full episode.

Posted in Mar 31, 2022

Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils sheds light on the supporting role of mukhtars to local communities

  Beirut, 31 March 2022 – The Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils (DGLAC) invited mukhtars, municipalities and unions of municipalities (UoMs) to discuss ways to strengthen the role of mukhtars in supporting local communities during a third episode of the DGLAC talk show series. The talk show series is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), with funds from the EU. The event was broadcasted online to participants across the country. The discussion highlighted the crucial role mukhtars play but emphasized the need to further build their capacity, including around digital knowledge, to enable them to better serve their communities. The session allowed participating mukhtars to directly voice challenges, concerns, and solutions to national level decision makers through a Q&A session, thereby contributing to national policy dialogue.    Mukhtara Ms. Josiane Khalil, of Zouk Mekael, first Mukhtara in Kessrwan District and one of the few women in this field said: “The role of mukhtars is really important, they can have a great impact on citizens’ everyday life and needs, and the state should strengthen this role to streamline the functioning of local public administration”.   The need to strengthen national support to mukhtars was also emphasized. Mr. Jalal Kebrit, Director General of CFML, said: “We always seek to support mukhtars so they can better support their communities. We are working on better digitization and automation at the Cooperative Fund of Mukhtars in Lebanon.” “To serve local communities better, DGLAC should work hand in hand with mukhtars and municipalities to achieve smart governance that puts citizen needs first”, said André Sleiman, the country representative of Democracy Reporting International (DRI). Panelist also emphasized the linkages between mukhtars and municipalities: “DGLAC supports municipalities and unions of municipalities and facilitates their role. Mukhtars are an important part of the local governance in Lebanon, and their role interlinks to a great extent with municipalities in the delivery of more efficient services to our citizens and communities.” said DGLAC Director General Faten Abou Hassan. The DGLAC talk show series is delivered under the patronage of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, with support from the Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project (MERP). MERP is a joint initiative implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and is funded by the European Union through its Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis “Madad Fund”. DGLAC initiated the talk show series for mukhtars, municipalities and unions of municipalities, to discuss key topics of local concern. Two episodes were delivered during 2021, one on the updating of the municipal law and a second on the DGLAC support to local authorities to explore new ways to generate revenue within the current economic crisis. In 2022, DGLAC will continue the series, including this episode dedicated to mukhtars. The next DGLAC talk show will be hosted 2nd quarter of 2022 and will focus on gender inclusion at municipal level.   To access the event photo album click HERE.

Posted in Nov 16, 2021

The role of mayors in the Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils New ways to generate revenue in light of the current economic crisis

  Beirut, 16 November 2021 – The second episode is about supporting local authorities to explore new ways to generate revenue in light of the current economic crisis . The Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils (DGLAC) invited municipalities and unions of municipalities to discuss ways to generate revenue within the current economic crisis during a second episode of the DGLAC talk show series. The municipalities of Karaoun, Fnaideq and Deir Qanoun El Nahr were invited to share their innovative approaches in generating municipal revenue within the current economic context to allow for mutual learning and to encourage and inspire other municipalities to implement similar initiatives. Municipalities and unions of municipalities are deeply affected by the current economic crisis. Municipalities are limited in their ability to collect local fees and taxes and with the devaluation of the Lebanese Lira, their revenues have lost more than 90 per cent in value, for example. This results in significant challenges for municipalities and unions to deliver much needed services for their communities. In addition to the three municipalities that presented, municipal and union representatives attended online. Participants shared their views and concerns and discussed best practices and lessons learnt, with as aim to better serve their communities.   “We have a woman council, a diaspora council, and social solidarity volunteers teams to support reaching out to donors, work on development and basic services projects to develop and improve the town”, said Dr. Fatima Yassine, Deir Kanoun El Naher Community Member. “This experience had a great impact; it is an evidence that societies and municipalities are capable of facing challenges and relying on themselves. Going to donors requires successful beginnings, which makes obtaining funding for development easier.” Said Dr. Mohamad Ali, Head of Environmental Committee, Recycling Center Supervisor, Fnaideq Municipality.   According to Article 28-43 of Decree No. 4082 regulating the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils (DGLAC) plays a crucial role in supporting municipal unions (UoMs) and municipalities in performing their role and responsibilities. In this role, it is responsible for supporting municipalities and unions with capacity-building, technical assistance and evidence-based planning, among other. As part of this role, DGLAC initiated the DGLAC talk show series for mukhtars, municipalities and unions of municipalities, to discuss key topics of local concern. The first episode, on the updating the municipal law, was organized in September 2021. In 2022, DGLAC will continue the series, including with an episode dedicated to mukhtars. The DGLAC talk show series is delivered under the patronage of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and with support from the Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project (MERP). MERP is a joint initiative implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and is funded by the European Union through its Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis “Madad Fund”. To access the event photo album click HERE.

Posted in Sep 28, 2021

Talk Show 2021: The first episode is about updating the municipal law

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and in the framework of the Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project (MERP) funded by the European Union through its Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis “Madad Fund” The Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils cordially organized an online talk show on "updating the municipal law to help municipalities face various challenges"     To access the event photo album click HERE.