The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Collaborate to Address Civil Documentation Challenges for Syrian Refugees
Beirut, Lebanon - July 18, 2023 - The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) joined forces in organizing a roundtable discussion and the launch of a research report titled "Comparative Analysis on Marriage, Birth and Death Registration in Beirut, North Lebanon, Bekaa, and Mount Lebanon." The event, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel - Verdun in Beirut, brought together esteemed attendees, including Judges representatives from embassies, the Tripoli Bar Association, security agencies, the National Human Rights Commission, local and international NGOs, as well as lawyers and mukhtars.
The collaborative research report, a result of a partnership between CLDH and NRC, aimed to shed light on the disparities in birth, death, and marriage procedures, as well as legal provisions for Syrian refugees residing in various Lebanese governorates. The study also identified the obstacles preventing Syrian refugees from fulfilling their civil documentation obligations and presented an action plan to unify the process of civil documentation across the country.
The event, facilitated by Dr.Issam Sbat, Attorney at Law, was divided into four main sessions:
Session 1: Introduction to CLDH and NRC
The first session provided a brief introduction to the work and objectives of both CLDH and NRC, setting the stage for the discussions to follow.
Session 2: Research Overview and Findings
During the second session, an overview of the research and its findings was presented. Over the past years, NRC and CLDH have observed inconsistencies in civil documentation processes across different geographical areas, including variations in associated fees, processing times, required documents, and administrative hurdles encountered at religious and civil courts, the Mukhtar, and the Personal Status Department (PSD). The research report highlighted and compared these specific challenges and differences in civil documentation processes in North Lebanon, North Bekaa, Beirut, and Mount Lebanon. Moreover, it put forward concrete recommendations aimed at facilitating and unifying the legal processes under a governance perspective. The proposed measures aim to decrease the risks faced by refugees, including statelessness, limited access to legal residency, employment rights, and the threat of deportation, while also streamlining the work of lawyers.
Session 3: Interventions by CLDH and NRC Speakers
In the third session, distinguished speakers from CLDH and NRC shared their insights and expertise:
- Jenny Bjerlestam, Information, Counselling, and Legal Assistance Specialist at NRC, presented a concise overview of the international human rights aspects of civil documentation.
- Dr. Salah Raad, Attorney at Law, detailed the process of birth and death registration in the Bekaa area, focusing on the differences between the law and practice.
- Me. Georges Najjar, Attorney at Law, presented the process of marriage registration in the Bekaa area, focusing on the differences between the law and practice.
- Me. Rabih Keyrouz, Attorney at Law, provided a comprehensive explanation of the marriage, birth, and death registration process in Mount Lebanon and Beirut, highlighting the disparities between the law and its implementation.
Session 4: Q&A and Discussion
The fourth session fostered an open discussion on the report's content, enabling attendees to ask questions and engage in dialogue about the findings. Recommendations were presented and received positive responses from participants. The organizing parties took note of the attendees' enthusiasm and willingness to endorse and implement these recommendations.
The roundtable discussion and report launch marked a significant step toward addressing the challenges faced by Syrian refugees in obtaining proper civil documentation. CLDH and NRC remain committed to advocating for unified procedures and the protection of refugees' rights in Lebanon.
For media inquiries, please contact:
comm@cldh-lebanon.org
+961 1 886 676
+961 81 378 439
About CLDH: The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) is a local non-profit, non-partisan Lebanese human rights organization. It was founded in 2006 in Beirut by the Franco-Lebanese Movement SOLIDA (Support for Lebanese Detained Arbitrarily). CLDH’s complementary components include advocacy, public mobilization, rehabilitation for victims of torture and families of enforced disappearances, the provision of pro-bono legal services for vulnerable groups regardless of nationality or status, and the organization of capacity building activities to key stakeholders in the human rights field.
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About NRC: NRC supports people affected by displacement and the local host communities and wants to be a strong voice for the protection and rights of the refugees, navigating a tense operating environment. NRC emphasizes partnering with local authorities and developing relationships with central Ministries. At the community level, NRC operations favor a participatory approach with a conflict-sensitive lens.
