Beirut, Lebanon- 22 February, 2023 (United Nations) – Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Imran Riza, co-chaired today the first meeting of the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) for the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) that was signed between the Government of Lebanon and the United Nations Country Team on 28 April 2022.
The meeting discussed the 2023 priorities of the UN Cooperation Framework and introduced the role and functions of the JSC as well as the overall way forward on the implementation of the Framework.
“The JSC constitutes the high-level accountability forum between the UN and the Government of Lebanon for the Cooperation Framework, and plays a key role in providing strategic direction, oversight, and coordination for the UN programmatic and operational interventions in the development field in Lebanon,” said Riza in his opening remarks. “The Committee will monitor the progress made towards the implementation of the Cooperation Framework that aims to help put Lebanon back on the development track. Government’s role and leadership are critical for the advancement of this framework” he stressed.
The Committee, which is co-chaired by the Prime Minister and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, is composed of Heads of the UN entities operating in Lebanon and of relevant ministers to advance the priorities of the CF, who were also present in the meeting.
For his part, Mikati stressed that the meeting aims to secure technical and developmental support to put Lebanon back on the road to recovery, explaining that “extensive consultations and meetings between the relevant Lebanese ministries and United Nations organizations have contributed to defining the priorities that will put us back on the path of sustainable development and social and economic recovery.” He added that “there is no sustainable development without political stability,” renewing his call to all leaders, officials and stakeholders to “put an end to obstruction and pointless political accusations that have no helpful role to play in the day-to-day life of the suffering citizens.”
The JSC will also ensure alignment of the national Government priorities with the Cooperation Framework and monitor its implementation and results on regular basis.
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About the UNSDCF:
The UN Cooperation Framework formalizes the UN and Government’s partnership in development, provides strategic direction to the UN’s work and ensures its alignment with the evolving country context and national development processes. From 2023 to 2025, the CF aims to achieve four strategic development priorities that revolve around the People, the Planet (environment), Prosperity, and Peace and Governance, and consisting of the following: (1) Improved lives and well-being for all people in Lebanon; (2) Improved resilient and competitive productive sectors for enhanced and inclusive-generating and livelihood opportunities; (3) Sustained peaceful and inclusive society for participatory and equitable development; (4) Restored rich nature and ecosystem of Lebanon for inclusive green recovery.