The year 2000 was characterized by numerous changes affecting Lebanon’s social, political and economic scene. The country witnessed, in May 2000, the Israeli withdrawal from the South after 22 years of occupation. Following the parliamentary election in October 2000, a new government, headed by the prime minister, Rafik Al-Hariri, was established in November 2000. With a rising level of unemployment and increasing economic difficulties, recent figures now estimate that 15,000 people are emigrating every month to look for work abroad.

On the economic front, and with a GDP of US$17.2 billion (5 percent annual growth), there is general consensus in the present government that steps are needed to encourage private sector growth and support to the re-development of the country’s once regionally dominant services sector. In this respect, a full-fledged privatization programme and the imposition of the value-added tax (VAT) are currently being considered with the aim of repaying debts (estimated at 140 percent of GDP as at December 2000). The Government is also attaching a high priority to administrative reforms in an effort to reduce the budgetary deficit, which is one of major causes for economic difficulties in the country. This is causing concerns among workers of public sector organizations who have expressed their disagreement through strikes and through the media.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA) aims to promote employment by developing a national employment strategy, rehabilitating disabled people and former detainees in South Lebanon, enhancing micro and small enterprises, rehabilitating vocational training centers, strengthening human resource capacities, enhancing social protection, and working towards the ratification of international labour standards. MOLSA is led by H.E. Mr. Ali Kanso who was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, for the first time, in October 2000.

The Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI) was established in 1943. It is a Lebanese economic organization (NGO) grouping industrialists from all over the country. It advocates a policy of balanced industrial development in all the Lebanese territories. The Association seeks to create and maintain an environment conducive to the growth of the Lebanese Industry. The Association maintains a strong relationship with the ILO. In addition to its regular participation in the International Labour Conference and in all employers’ meetings as well as ILO tripartite activities, the Association has received ILO assistance in the form of consultancy services, fellowships for training purposes, seminars and other types of meetings, and studies and research.

Workers:

Workers’ organizations are represented by the General Confederation for Lebanese Workers (GCLW). After a year and half of conflict and paralysis, a new leadership of the GCLW was elected in early 2001. It is already gaining ground on national recognition, although it has been contested by some: ICATU and ICFTU are still considering recognizing the leadership given the circumstances surrounding its elections, and complaints have been filed by two national federations against its legitimacy and the Government’s interventions. ILO provided technical advisory services to GCLW on the revision of the labour code in June 2000 and the financial contribution to its activity on the survey on wage and cost of living in 2001. Also, a fellowship was provided for participation in the Turin Center training course on women workers’ rights (October 2000).

The National Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (the total budget : $600,000, France) became operational in November 2000. The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Labour and raise awareness on the importance of eliminating child labour; and a study on child labour in tobacco plantation in the south Lebanon was undertaken;

A technical advisory mission was undertaken to Lebanon in June 2000 to provide assistance to the GCLW on the revision of the labour code;

Fellowships were awarded for participation in the following training courses organized by Turin Centre: "Promotion of Women Workers’ Rights" (October 2000); and "International Labour Standards for Lawyers and Legal Educators" (August 2000).

A multidisciplinary mission was undertaken to South Lebanon in July 2000, following the Israeli withdrawal from the Lebanese territories. The mission formulated 18 project proposals in ILO’s fields of competence. A pilot programme composed of two projects, one on "Socio-Economic Integration and Vocational Rehabilitation of Former Detainees" and the other on "Support to Micro and Small Enterprises", are being launched with ILO’s internal financial resources;

Fellowships were awarded for participation in the following training courses organized by Turin Centre: "Promotion and Development of Local Employment Initiatives" (May 2000); and "New Trends in Vocational Education and Training Policy Analysis" (July 2000).

ILO organized, in Beirut, "Roundtable on Occupational Safety and Health" (January 2001) and a regional workshop on "Comparative Analysis of International and National Standards on Occupational Safety and Health" (April 2001, jointly by the Turin Center);

The following studies were conducted in Lebanon:

• Research on migrant women domestic workers
• Survey on the prevalence of AIDS
• Survey on the prevalence of silicosis
• Situation analysis on occupational hazards and their impact on reproductive health (inter-agency activity with UNFPA)

A national seminar on women migrant workers is scheduled to be held in Lebanon, later in 2001.

A "Regional Seminar on Tripartism and Social Dialogue" was organized in Beirut (October 2000), which brought together representatives from the Middle East and North Africa to discuss way and means for further promotion of tripartism and social dialogue in the Arab region;

ILO provided the financial contribution to GCLW’s activity related to the survey on wages and costs of living (2001);

Fellowships were awarded for participation in the following training courses organized by Turin Centre: "Strengthening Women Entrepreneurs’ Associations" (October 2000); and "Public Service Reform and Development" (November 2000).

Lebanon ratified a total of 43 ILO Conventions including five core Conventions, namely:

• Convention No. 29: Forced Labour, 1930
• Convention No. 98: Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, 1949
• Convention No. 100: Equal Remuneration, 1951
• Convention No. 105: Abolition of Forced Labour, 1957
• Convention No. 111: Discrimination (Employment and Occupation), 1958

It is currently considering the ratification of Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age, 1973, and Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999.

 Updated by CHW. Approved by RD. Last update: 3 August 2001.