News

Al Nahda Women Gathering convened a seminar yesterday on “the civil marriage contract in personal status laws” with the participation of the president of the Gathering as well as the member of the committee entrusted with the preparation of a civil family law within the Bar Association, lawyer Iqbal Dughan.  The event was attended by a large number of heads of women organizations, representatives of women sectors in political parties, and a number of people interested and active in the social and human rights sector. Mona Fares, the president of the Gathering noted that the issue of the civil family code is relevant to all current issues namely rampant confessionalism and problems of acceptance of other citizens.  The issue of civil family laws are also related to the practice of daily living that is not well known to citizens especially in relation to inheritance and custody rights.  Fares noted that the National Social Syrian Party had already submitted a proposal for a civil code to the Parliament back in 1997.  She stressed that the party will continue its struggle for the endorsement of this law as this will build citizens that have a national belonging rather than an allegiance to a confession.
For her part, Iqbal Doughan spoke about the current civil codes which adopt different religious precepts.  She added that religious courts cannot continue replacing civil courts in matter related to family law such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and custody thus the need for change.  She reiterated the importance of organizing family laws around a civil basis as the only way to resolve problems; mainstream the justice system and ensure justice amongst all citizens.

(Source: Al Diyyar 12 November, 2014)

 

Minister of Labor, Sejaan Azzi, issued yesterday a statement in which he requests all employment offices to remove all forms of advertisement regarding the recruitment of migrant women domestic workers and which violate human dignity especially since some these employment offices advertise their work through the media and through public posts and use inappropriate language such as “we secure servants”… “the cost of bringing in a servant”…”cost may be paid in installments”, “24 hour servant”, and “servants upon requests”. Azzi considered that such forms of advertising violate local laws and international ILO conventions.  He confirmed that should employment offices fail to remove their advertisement, the Ministry will consider these behavior as a form of trafficking and the employment offices will be liable to legal pursuits.

(Source: Annahar and Assafir 12 November 2014)

 

The Minister of Economy and Trade, Alain Hakim, issued yesterday a memorandum addressed to wheat and barley farmers wishing to benefit from the subsidies for the year 2015.  The memo provides detailed explanation of the conditions and criteria for submitting applications, including the following:

·         Submission of the dossier directly by the farmers from 17-Nov-2014 to 31-Jan-2015 without resorting to intermediaries.
·         The files should be submitted to the Ministry of Economy and Trade/ The General Directorate of Cereals and Sugar beets in Tal Amara- Riyak, Department of Economy and Trade in Nabatieh, Department of Economy and Trade in Tripoli/North.
·         Files should include attendant documentation namely a recent copy of the civil register released in less than 3 months, a certificate of the property issued during the last three months period, an affidavit of the property  showing the exact surface area and certified by the municipality.
·         Maps signed and certified by municipality, if not available by the “Mokhtar”.
·         An agricultural land lease for those who do not own the land.
·         A fee of LBP 6,000

 

The memorandum insists that files should be deposited during the date set above lest they are rejected.  All applicants caught cheating or providing false information will be held liable to charges.

(Source: L’Orient le Jour 11 November 2014)

 

The Minister of Industry, Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan, noted that Lebanon suffers from the brain drain of its educated youth.  He added that the solution reside in drawing a comprehensive national policy focusing on productive sectors such as agriculture, care, services, tourism, business and banks.  Hajj Hassan also criticized Lebanon’s adherence to the Arab Free Trade Agreement and EU Partnership agreement.  The Minister was speaking during the launch of the 2014 Employment and Orientation Exhibition which was held yesterday at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Saida, under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and OMSAR and jointly organized by the European Institute for Collaboration and Development and Dar al Inaya.  It is to be noted that the event was implemented within the framework of the Afkar III programme funded by the EU.
Hajj Hassan further added that there are so many universities and vocational training institutes in Lebanon which regretfully graduate hundreds of students who cannot find job opportunities.  He held the highest echelons of the state responsible for this situation including the Cabinet and the Parliament.  Hajj Hassan concluded by saying that this Forum is a productive and humanitarian event which focuses on the close collaboration and complete partnership between relevant Ministries, the private sector, International Organisations and CSOs.

(Source: Al Mustaqbal, Assafir and Al Diyar 11 November 2014)

 

The Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb, organised a Press Conference he held yesterday after presiding over the meeting of the committee to plant 40 million trees convened by the Cabinet.  During the press conference, Chehayeb revealed that degradation of the vegetation covering Lebanon has shrank from 13% to 11% despite the reforestation interventions because tree logging and violations of forests have gone on unabated regardless of the tens of files deposited with the district attorney. The conference was attended by the General Director of Cooperatives, President of the Administrative Committee of the Green Project, Gloria Abi- Zeid, representatives of the concerned ministries: environment, education, defense, interior, youth and sports, justice, finance, energy, and agriculture, of NGOs and the private sector.  Chehayeb further said that although several forest criminals have been referred to the juridical system, such crimes are recurrent on a daily basis.  He added that the meeting aimed at regulating the reforestation sector as well as protecting forests.  In a related vein, Cheyayeb added that a mechanism has been launched to develop a national reforestation plan which should be implemented during the upcoming 2014-20015 reforestation season which is about to kick off.  He also noted that the said committee will re-start its work during the month of November and so as to prepare for launching the committee’s plan during a national conference that will be held at the Grand Serail on December 10th coincinding with the celebration of the Day of the Tree.

(Source: Annahar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, Al Akhbar, 11 November 2014)

 

The third Conference on Olives and Olive Oil in Hassbaya and Marjeyoon was held last Saturday and was entitled “quality as an entry point for marketing”.  The conference concluded with a number of recommendations namely: that the armed forces purchase agricultural products notably olive oil from cooperatives, protecting Lebanese olive oil from foreign competition, combating corrupt practices, collaboration with the Ministry of Information and the media to launch awareness raising campaigns to introduce citizens to thr importance and health value of Lebanese olive oil, finally demands for the creation of a pension plan and health coverage system for olive farmers. In a related vein, As Safir newspaper published in its issue of today a note saying that this year’s olives harvest in Batrun is uneven mostly in view of the exceptional climatic changes.  Farmers are expecting a decrease in their yields.
For its part, As-Safir newspaper published last Thursday a report on the various problems facing late harvests which include financial losses due to marketing at low prices as well as blockages in trading roads to the Gulf because of the Syrian crisis. Another major difficulty includes the high costs of land transport which has increased three-fold.  Agricultural expert, Khaled Zoghbi, noted that potatoes are amongst the foremost products mostly affected by late harvest, also known as “late” cultivations, followed by legumes and greens.  Zoghbi spoke about the role of IDAL in supporting agricultural exports, adding that IDAL financial contributions varies between LBP 100 and 150 thousands for each ton.   He complained that IDAL did not pay farmers their entitlements for 2013 which have now reached some LBP 2 billion.  Zoghbi further added that half of the inhabitants in Rashaya and the West Bekaa rely on agriculture for their livelihoods and that financial losses are of far reaching impact on employers, workers, and holder of various local businesses.
Source: As-Safir 6 and 10 November and Al Mustaqbal 10 November 2014

Al Mu2assaht organized last Saturday a Mooneh Day in Saida and which carried the slogan “here comes autumn and after that winter… hurry and buy grandma’s Mouneh”.  The event was held at the organization’s centre in Qayyahah and coincided with the coming of autumn and in preparation for the rainy winter season.  The event included a showcase of various traditional mooneh products namely various types of dairy, jams, pickles, oils, grains and soaps as well as the organisation’s own pastry and sewing products.
Source: Al Mustaqbal 9 November 2014

The Minister of Tourism, Muichel Pharaon, inaugurated the fourth edition of the Beirut Cooking Festival which kicked off at Biel yesterday.  In his speech, Pharaon commended the role of civil society in this sector and noted that Lebanese cooking is a reason of pride and challenge as it represents Lebanon’s civilization and all that is beautiful. The director of Hospitality Services, the organizers of this event, Joumana Dammous Salameh, noted that the festival aims at incentivizing the growth of the cooking sector and is an opportunity to remind both Lebanese and foreigners of the healthy and traditional Lebanese cuisine.
The event includes a Chocolate Salon pavilion which is held for the first time in Lebanon after touring France and a number of Asian and world countries.  The opening of this pavilion was attended by the French Ambassador, Patrice Paoli, and included a fashion show of chocolate made clothes offered by Lebanese designers. Finally, a number of USAID-supported rural cooperatives are participating in the Festival within the formwork of the US-funded LIVCD program.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar November 7, 2014

The MED DIET project implemented by the Chamber of Trade, Industry and Agriculture in Beirut and Mount Lebanon and funded by the EU, organized yesterday a seminar entitled “Capitalising on Achievements” and that within the framework of the Beirut Cooking Festival hosted by Biel.
The president of the Chamber, Mohammed Shucair, noted during the seminar that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest according to several studies.  He noted that this distinctive advantage has a high commercial value and is an opportunity for the industry and agriculture sectors in Lebanon especially if Lebanon is able to abide by international standards.  Shucair also added that should such products develop, they are likely to open new markets for Lebanese production in addition to the local market which is consuming natural products more and more as people are becoming more aware of their benefits.  MP Serge Torsarkissian who represented the Minister of Tourism, highlighted for his part the importance of collaboration amongst Ministries in order to further the outreach of Mediterranean food.  Mohammad al Jamal, representing the Minister of Education, spoke for his part about the importance of strengthening health dietary lifestyles to protect students and emphasized on the importance of preserving the Mediterranean dietary style.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 7 November 2014

An event was organized at “Bayt el Wasat” to exchange an agreement regarding the operation of a packaging and refrigeration centre in the village of Qibbat Chambra w Samqala in Akkar, between Imkan 1 company, Imkan association and the municipality of Qibbat Chambra w Samqala in Akkar. The centre is being set up on a piece of land offered by former MP Saad Hariri.  The event was under the auspices of former MP Hariri represented by the general secretary of the Future Movement, Ahmad Hariri and in the presence of the resident representative of the Kuwaiti Fund, Nawwaf al Dabbous and several MPs.
On this occasion, the executive director of Imkan, Mayyadah Baydas, noted that her organization will seek to operate the central for public interest through providing the infrastructure needed for sorting, packaging, refrigeration and extension in a way that is transparent and efficient vis-à-vis farmers and merchants.  The centre will also offer other services to develop the agricultural sector in the region and so as to secure production that responds to market needs and for export. Dabbous noted for his part that the group is gathered to witness the process of offering this project to Akkar.  He highlighted that the Kuwaiti fund worked to address difficulties facing farmers in this area notably the absence of cooperatives and institutions which would help in packaging and refrigerating products and sell them at an optimal price.
Source: Al Mustaqbal and Al Diyar 7 November 2014