Addressed to the community, parliament, government, judiciary, security services and civil society in Lebanon  

The Lebanese Centre for Human Rights (CLDH) has observed a significant increase in the exploitation of children and juveniles. This is accompanied by a rise in the recruitment of children to commit illegal acts for minimal amounts of money, exploiting their poverty and displacement. This situation is further exacerbated by the lack of implementation of legal provisions for the care and protection of juveniles in Lebanon, as outlined in Law No. 422/2002, which aims to protect juveniles at risk. This legal framework was intended to establish a restorative justice system and address the causes of delinquency, providing protection in an environment where juveniles are vulnerable to exploitation.  

Furthermore, these grave violations contravene the provisions of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Lebanon is a signatory, the Anti-Human Trafficking Law No. 164/2011, and Decree No. 8987/2012, which prohibits the employment of juveniles under the age of 18 in jobs that pose a risk to their health, safety, or moral conduct. 

CLDH condemns any violations targeting children at risk and stresses the need for immediate and focused action by the judicial police and judiciary to provide protection to children from all forms of violence and exploitation, particularly those resulting from conflicts and displacement. CLDH also emphasizes the importance of prosecuting organized groups that exploit children in the streets. 

As the most vulnerable group in society, children need all concerned parties to develop and implement effective protection strategies. This commitment is based on our firm dedication to protecting children's rights and advocating for them to meet their basic needs. This aligns with the principles of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, which emphasizes that children are human beings with their own rights, explicitly stated in the Convention. The Convention underscores the fundamental human dignity of all children, the importance of ensuring their well-being and development, and the belief that a basic quality of life should be a right for all children, not a privilege enjoyed by a few. 

To this end, CLDH highlights the following recommendations:  

To the Community:   

  1. Report suspicious activities related to the exploitation of children to the appropriate authorities or organizations.  

 

To the Parliament and Government:   

  1. Amend Law 422/2002, most notably:  

- Raising the age of criminal responsibility from 7 to 14 years  

- Regulating the work of the social representative, imposing supervisory authority over his/her work, and establishing a clear accountability mechanism in the event of an infringement  

- Establishing public prosecutors and a comprehensive judiciary body specialized in juvenile cases  

- Limiting the discretionary power of juvenile judges in protection cases and amending the irrevocability of their decisions  

- Ensuring that the principle of confidentiality cannot be used to obstruct a lawyer in protection cases, allowing them access to all case documents 

- Establishing a clear mechanism to regulate the work and functions of care institutions  

      2. Increase penalties for crimes involving the exploitation of children and create a clear and accessible reporting mechanism that considers the victims and ensures their protection during the reporting process 

      3.Establish specialized institutions that provide protection and support for victims, obligating them to receive every child at risk, and establish a unified framework for the standards they must adopt  

     4.Implement educational and awareness programs within school curricula and communities to empower children to recognize and report abuse 

 
To the Judiciary:   

  1. Prioritize the rehabilitation of children at risk or violators of the law and encourage judges to apply restorative justice  

  2. Ensure that judges dealing with children’s cases receive specialized training to deal with these sensitive issues, with a focus on child protection and the best interests of the child  

 
To Law Enforcement Organs:   

  1. Ensure that law enforcement officers receive specialized training to deal with children’s issues, with a focus on child protection and the best interests of the child 

  2. Take immediate action when receiving reports of child exploitation  

  3. Establish specialized units within the security services to quickly and effectively address child exploitation issues, providing them with the necessary resources and training 

  4. Improve their response through cooperation with local and international NGOs  

  5. Establish an effective and non-bureaucratic reporting system with local and international NGOs, allowing them to monitor violations and report them to security offices to take the necessary actions 

 
To Civil Society:   

  1. Launch awareness campaigns aimed at educating citizens about the seriousness, indicators, and consequences of child exploitation  

  2. Conduct in-school training to enable children to recognize and report abuse  

  3. Monitor violations and report them to security authorities  

  4. Provide free psychological and social care to victims of exploitation, either through direct services or referral to competent associations  

  5. Coordinate with the Social Workers Syndicate and the Lebanese Psychological Association (LPA) to provide more care services for children deprived of their freedom