BALADI CAP project has launched in February a 2-year technical assistance program that is aimed to benefit 38 municipalities and unions of municipalities from all over Lebanon. This project is part of a 15 million dollar program, ”Building Alliances for Local Advancement, Development and Investment CAP” (BALADI CAP), funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The municipal support project was announced at a launching event which took place in Habtoor Hotel Sin el Fil, on the 17th of February 2017 under the patronage of the US Ambassador to Lebanon Mrs. Elizabeth Richard. Also present were USAID Mission Director, Dr. Anne Patterson, and heads of municipalities and unions of municipalities, as well as civil society organizations and media representatives.
Ambassador Richard stressed the importance of supporting and assisting municipalities to enable them to deliver basic services to their communities. The Ambassador took the time to hear out the concerns of the municipalities directly from the presidents of municipalities who were eager to share their problems and expectations with her. She reaffirmed the United States unrelenting support to municipalities given the prominent role they play in socio-economic development in Lebanon
BALADI CAP Chief of Party Dr. Fares El Zein, broke down the program components, the latter of which provide technical assistance to support municipalities and civil society organizations in improving their internal finances and administrative structures. El-Zein highlighted the role of institution building at the local and national levels to face different development challenges in Lebanon. He emphasized the role of Baladi Cap in developing the advocacy skills of CSOs and municipalities to better respond to citizen’s needs, and to cope with the influx of Syrian refugees which has a direct impact on the host communities.
The event ended with a technical discussion of the program with Dr. Fares el Zein, presidents, vice-presidents and members of municipalities and unions of municipalities in Lebanon.
In A Box
BALADI CAP is a five-year, 15 million dollars technical assistance program funded by USAID/Lebanon that advances the institutional capacities of Lebanese Civil Society Organizations and municipalities/unions under three main components to improve their advocacy skills and delivery of services to local citizens. In the next two years, BALADI CAP will work with local municipalities and stakeholders to strengthen citizen-government cooperation in local policy and decision-making processes, improve service delivery, identify resources, and ensure the oversight role of public institutions. In addition, through its grants program, BALADI CAP seeks to create and strengthen civil society advocacy networks and coalitions to improve their impact, specifically in the fields of environment preservation and solid waste management, human rights, and good governance and accountability.