Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Najat Rochdi signed on Thursday the “United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework” (UNSDCF) that is meant to strengthen the existing and ongoing cooperation between both parties on promoting the principles of sustainable development, and build the foundations for a prosperous and inclusive Lebanese society, where no one is left behind.
The framework aims to improve people’s lives and achieve a better future for Lebanon and its people, in addition to reaching a more comprehensive partnership between the United Nations and all concerned parties. It also constitutes a fundamental tool for planning and implementing UN development activities at the national level, in line with national development priorities and people's demands.
“Today is a very important day in which we renew years of continuous cooperation between the United Nations system in Lebanon and the Government of Lebanon, through a new Cooperation Framework that exemplifies the spirit of partnership that is at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” Rochdi said. She assured that reforms are the key to the successful implementation of the cooperation framework and lie at the core of the support intended within. Rochdi expressed hope that the reforms will be swiftly adopted in favor of the Lebanese people and contribute to accelerating the development process in the country.
“The importance of this framework lies in the fact that it was based on an inclusive participatory process that involved a series of extensive consultations with a wide range of national and international stakeholders, including civil society organizations, private sector, the Lebanese government, donors, and religious leaders”.
For his part, Mikati stressed that the UN emergency programs are important to address the primary challenges in Lebanon, calling for reflecting jointly on the long-term solutions presented in the Cooperation Framework to achieve sustainable development. “I see in this title [UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework] a positive message represented by the word “United Nations” which conveys peace, humanity, love, and cooperation for the well-being of the Lebanese citizen. We are in dire need for this cooperation today.”
Mikati stressed the importance of implementing the required reforms in full cooperation with the Parliament and all private and public governmental bodies, considering these reforms as an imminent demand by the Lebanese before it is an international one.
The implementation of the cooperation framework will kick off at the beginning of 2023 and will end in December 2025. Together with the UN, the Lebanese government will be responsible for leading the implementation of this framework, monitoring it, and preparing reports about its progress based on the four strategic development priorities that were identified in partnership with the government, civil society, the private sector, donors, and others. These priorities revolve around four main pillars, namely the People, the Planet (environment), Prosperity, and Peace.