News

Lebanese Forces member, MP Elie Kairuz, submitted last Friday a draft legislation revoking Article 522 of the Penal Code which provides for end of all prosecution against a sexual assaulter if he marries his victim. (Section 7 of the Penal Code/ on crimes of obscene or abusive nature). The proposal, according to Kairuz, is aimed for the physical protection of a woman, her dignity and physical safety, and subsequently, amendment to the current legislative criminal justice system (represented by the Penal Code), becomes mandatory to end all discrimination against women. The said law proposal centers on the text of Article 522 which orders “the end of prosecution and suspension of punishment of the aggressor in the incident of a true marriage between him and his victim.” The preamble or explanatory statement of the draft indicates that halting the prosecution of the assailant justifies the impunity for other criminals, particularly that the said article involves all felonies specified in Chapter One that are sexually-related, notably rape, kidnapping or immoral acts, and as such, no perpetrator, accomplice, intervener, instigator or partner in the crime is discharged. The above proposal considers that the “present text applied on cases of abuse of women by either force, violence or deceptive persuasion, in fact applies to acts that pose a serious aggression against a woman’s dignity, as well as against her physical, psychological and moral integrity". Therefore, the proposal goes on, “any alleged marriage between the aggressor, or one of the aggressors if they were many, and their victim, does not constitute a compensation or solution to the violence suffered by the woman as a result of the assault.” (Al Akhbar, July 30, 2016)

 

In its edition of today, L’Orient Le Jour daily portrayed the traditional hummus industry in Lebanon noting that despite its international fame, it is still largely dependent on the outside. In this respect, Lebanon has, between 2012 and 2014, imported around 14,000 tons of chickpea crops, and exported nearly 80% of the finished hummus product to foreign markets amidst a limited domestic demand. Citing the latest agriculture ministry data, the newspaper pointed out that Lebanon has only produced 3,500 tons of chickpeas crops in 2011. This is mainly due to the high cost of production, as explained by head of the Crops and Vegetables Section at the Agricultural Scientific Research Department, Rabi’ Kabalan. The newspaper went on to say that the price of chickpea in the Lebanese market, is 1.5 dollars per kilo, and that yearly local consumption is estimated at 1,500 tons per year, i.e. a total value of $ 2.2 million. And to shed more light on the subject, L’Orient Le Jour interviewed a number of marketing representative of Lebanese establishments in the hummus industry, who agreed that the bulk of the crops are imported from the United States, Mexico and Canada. They also indicated that the present price of one ton of chickpeas has soared to USD 2000 up from USD 1300-1700 last year. One of them, however, grieved that while Europe and the Arab Gulf countries still import made-in-Lebanon hummus, the US has in the past five years have shifted towards imports from Jordan. Other countries, like Kuwait and Dubai, have also embarked on the production of hummus. (L’Orient Le Jour, August 1, 2016)

 

A study by the Pan Arab recruitment portal, Bayt.Com has revealed that nearly 63% of fresh university graduates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region face difficulties in finding their first job, with 30% describing the task as extremely arduous. According to the survey, conducted in cooperation with the long established Market Research Organization, 59% of Lebanese respondents maintained that the biggest challenge blocking the way to a successful professional journey is blamed on employers who mostly opt for appointing skilled candidates. Moreover, while 34% of those interviewed have admitted a lack of knowledge of job surfing methods, 25% confirmed that now they will seek jobs outside their professional expertise, and 11% said they will search for any opportunity, regardless of the sector. When asked about the key factors or criteria they consider when choosing a certain job, 53% of Lebanese graduates mentioned that first they follow their passion. Other factors included career promotion (10%), international job opportunities (8%), and working at a prestigious company (8%). On salary expectations, while only a few of the respondents (5%) stated that they have no predetermined notion of the salary they should expect for their first job, the majority of the respondents (60%) said they expect between USD750 and USD 2000 on average. It should be noted, that the assessment study targeted some 4247 young men and women who graduated during the past three years in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. (L’Orient Le Jour, Al Mustaqbal, July 27 and 31, 2016)

 

As part of the ‘youth empowerment and socio-psychological support of Palestinian children’ program, the Palestinian Human Rights Foundation (SHAHED) conducted last week a training session in the southern city of Tyre on methods of early childhood development. The 2-day workshop, funded by UNICEF, targeted a group of kindergarten teachers and a number of women social workers in the domain of child protection, with demonstrations and input from trainer Maha Hudruj. At the end of the course, the beneficiaries received a certification of participation and a set of toolkits that help in working with children. (Al Mustaqbal, August 1, 2016)

 

The recent figures released by the “Union of Arab Banks” and the “Institute of International Finance” which have shown a decline in the rate of remittances into the country during the past two years and which were confirmed by the Bank of Lebanon governor (for the first half of the present fiscal year) (full news: http://bit.ly/2aOLpm4), have put on alert the local banking sector. In this respect, and after Marwan Barakat from Bank Audi, refused to comment for lack of precision in numbers, the head of the financial and economic research department at Bank Byblos, Nassib Ghobril, underlined in a statement that the crucial capital for the banking industry is the trust of its investors, depositors and Lebanese emigrants. He maintained that the rigorous figures issued by the Central Bank, and which represent the only official records, have revealed an increase in the remittances of migrant Lebanese in 2015, (by 4%) reaching USD 7 billion and 500 million. The figure, Ghobril explained, is relatively high, equivalent to 15% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and in fact one of the highest globally, close to USD 1600 for every Lebanese resident. Ghobril made clear that “the Bank of Lebanon  has not yet posted the data for the size of transferals in 2016, noting that these figures could stay constant on the 2015 rate or shift up or down.” On the other hand, he explained, “should remittances fall during 2016, by 10% on average, let’s say, there remains around USD 6 billion and 750 million, which still is considered high and able to invigorate domestic consumption.” Ghobril also referred to the upsurge in the size of bank deposits to nearly USD 154 billion. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, July 28, 2016)

 

 

After he supported the reduction of the minimum daily wage by LBP 4,000 thus affecting a large proportion of daily Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian laborers mainly involved in low-skilled labour (http://lkdg.org/ar/node/15441), the labor minister Saj3an Azzi called yesterday for a raise of the minimum wage to LBP 1,200,000 instead of LBP 675,000 when the economic conditions are ripe. He recalled the disastrous level of unemployment (nearly 25%) which he blamed, as usual, on Syrian refugees. Azzi, who was speaking during the opening of the First Normal Session of the Central Council of the International Federation of Arab Trade Unions, said the “Lebanese citizen cannot survive on USD 400 per month only”. The present minimum wage, as he claimed, “inspires more corruption, bribery, commissioning, poverty, terrorism and violence.” And to improve the minimum wage, Azzi concluded, requires the presence of a strong state.” In return to the recent decree lowering the daily minimum wage, the General Confederation of Professional Workers in Lebanon declared in a statement yesterday that “the decision, interpreted as a correction of a former calculation error, negatively impacts the livelihoods of daily contractual workers who do not have any health or social insurance.” “Receiving a LBP 4 thousand  cumulated  over a period of three years or more,” the statement went on, “has become an acquired right that can never be relinquished,” and warned to take the necessary measures to correct the situation. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, An Nahar, July 29, 2016)

 

 

Within the framework of the broad EuroMed initiative, the ministry of economy and trade launched yesterday the illustrative guide on the rules of origin in the presence of a delegation of countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) which includes four European countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and led by Hans Shlumann and a group of concerned parties. Alya Abbas, director general of the MoET pointed out that the launch comes as part of the training activities organized by the ministry to introduce international agreements aimed at liberalizing trade exchange and explain their working mechanisms to all involved officials and employees, students, academics, farmers, producers and traders. Abbas considered the rules concerning the country of origin as one of the basic foundations for any arrangement to this effect. She clarified that putting into effect any agreement that supports customs exemptions remains incomplete if the producer is not adequately informed about the rules of origin and how they work so that his product can benefit from preferential treatment. Abbas also stressed that the illustrative guide does not have any legal inference. For his part, Shlumann maintained the importance of the guide and the role of Lebanon in a period where everyone is preparing for freeing up trade. (Al Mustaqbal, July 29 2016)

 

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) launched yesterday its second annual report on the development of the action plan for the national strategy for women in Lebanon (2010-2021) completed in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The report outlined efforts deployed so far by the public sector, civil society and international organization to realize the above objective and detailed the projects executed during the year 2014. The report criticized the partial approach in the legal and legislative performance of organizations in their attempts to remove discriminatory provisos against women embedded in national laws, as these demands, according to the report, remain limited to adjusting specific legal articles without tackling the law in a comprehensive manner. The report also detected a remarkable decline in the number of organizations pressuring the government to lift its reservations on the CEDAW agreement (Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women). In education, the report pressed the need to issue decrees absolute for the Law of Compulsory and Free education, and to eradicate all gender stereotyping especially of women in textbooks. In economy, the report urged banks to stop all discrimination practices against women in respect to their right to open a bank account for their minor children. (An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, July 29, 2016)

 

The “Ma3akom” Charitable and Social Association organized yesterday a cultural exchange trip to Arz Tanurine and Balu3’ Bal3a’ areas in Lebanon as part of the ‘English Program for Women 2016’ funded by the Public Diplomacy Section at the US Embassy in Beirut. The program which aims at teaching English for women in Lebanon also seek to socially empower them in order to become active members of their community. During this cultural day, the US Embassy Cultural Advisor, Rose Lindgreen, met with various women who have assembled from Fnaydek, Mashtah Hassan, Ali Nahri and Majdala. Day activities included English language educational games that promote the use of the English language among the participants. In conclusion, Ghina Usta Alush, director of the project, outlined some of the social and development undertakings carried out by the beneficiaries upon their return to their villages, namely: the clean-up of the Qamu3a Plain in Akkar, a visit to an elderly nursing home in Zahleh, a visit to an addiction rehabilitation association in Jounieh and Byblos, the implementation of activities for children on Eid-el-Fitr in Baddawi, a project in support of a local association located in Fakha, Beqaa, the procurement of wall clocks for a Hussayniyeh in Nabha, the provision of support to a mother and her 3 daughters with special needs in Majdala, and finally, flower planting and clean-up of the town square of Shaath village in the Beqaa.  (Al Mustaqbal, July 28, 2016)

 

In cooperation with Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched yesterday the Agricultural Cooperative Association of Forest Tree Producers of Lebanon under the sponsorship of minister Akram Shehayeb and presence of a group of concerned figures. During the launch event, the president of the above association, Maroon Aziz, underlined the importance of the undertaking which mobilizes nine well-known nurseries from different regions across Lebanon. The association, funded by USAID and implemented by the United States Forest Service, serves to improve the quality of native forest seedlings with the help of competent international institutions, Aziz maintained. He lauded efforts exerted by the Association to contribute to the sustainability of the sprouts after their planting in the planned locations and to lowering the cost of production of seedlings and reforestation works. He stressed that cooperation among the involved nurseries has resulted in the production of more than 40 tons of native trees and over 500 thousand different forest plants every year. For his part, Shehayeb pointed out that the Association is considered a key partner of his ministry in restoring a reasonable rate of greenery to Lebanon, and therefore, a basic partner in the 40 million tree project. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, July 28, 2016)