On 12 September 2010, the UN Secretary-General declared Lebanon eligible to receive assistance from the Peacebuilding Fund to enhance the country’s peacebuilding efforts in the following areas:
- Overcoming sectarian tensions and consolidating a viable democracy in the formal political system and the broader public domain;
- Developing capacities for dialogue and reconciliation;
- Reducing economic disparities between social groups and regions, and integrating economically marginalized regions;
- Strategically engaging on key peacebuilding and citizenship issues with youth and women; and, Addressing issues of the status and rights of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
Following a workshop in Lebanon in late September 2010, the UN began working partners to draft a Peacebuilding Priority Plan (PP) focusing on two issues, citizenship and geographical areas of tension. While the Plan continues to be developed, the Fund has conditionally approved two Immediate Response Facility project proposals, respectively to;
- i) to enhance the employment prospects of Palestinian youth who are vulnerable to political mobilization or extremism, in the context of more favourable labour legislation, and offer them more stable prospects for the future (UNRWA);
- ii) to reduce and mitigate inter and intra communal tensions in selected urban areas (UNDP).
Quarterly reports for each project are available on the MPTF-O Gateway site
