{"id":3244,"date":"2025-07-14T13:44:43","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T13:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nhrclb.org\/archives\/3244"},"modified":"2025-07-16T08:07:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T08:07:26","slug":"%d8%aa%d9%82%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d9%8a%d8%a6%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d8%b7%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a5%d8%b7%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%88%d9%84%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nhrclb.org\/en\/archives\/3244","title":{"rendered":"Report of NHRC-CPT in the Framework of Lebanon\u2019s Fourth Universal Periodic Review Cycle \u2013 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

In fulfillment of its mandate as Lebanon\u2019s National Human Rights Institution, the National Human Rights Commission including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture \u2013 (NHRC-CPT),\u00a0submits this report to the UPR procedure regarding Lebanon to the UN Human Rights Council<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lebanon is scheduled to undergo its fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the United Nations Human Rights Council during the 51st session of the Working Group, which will be held in Geneva from 19 to 30 January 2026. This review is part of a UN mechanism aimed at evaluating the human rights records of all member states. Lebanon will present its national report and engage in an interactive dialogue with member states on its achievements and challenges. The United Nations has set 17 July 2025 as the deadline for the submission of civil society and stakeholder reports, ahead of the adoption of the final outcome report during the regular session of the Human Rights Council in June or July of the same year.<\/p>\n

This submission cannot provide a comprehensive picture of the human rights situation in Lebanon, nor a detailed assessment of all 297 recommendations made in the third UPR cycle of 2021. Instead, it focuses on areas that the Commission considers particularly important. Issues that the NHRC-CPT considers to be of particular concern and that should be taken up in recommendations to Lebanon are italicized. This submission focuses on the years 2021-2025, during which Lebanon has been, and continues to be, confronted with several crises and their serious consequences: economic collapse and denial of socioeconomic rights; deep political and institutional paralysis and recurring constitutional vacuums; Israeli aggression and internal displacement. <\/span><\/p>\n

NHRC-CPT, has identified four priority areas for the promotion of human rights in Lebanon:<\/p>\n

I. Weak Institutionalization of NHRI and NPM<\/p>\n

II. Torture, Ill-Treatment, and Prison Conditions<\/p>\n

III. Rule of Law and AccountabilityIV. Violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) during the Israeli Aggression against Lebanon<\/p>\n

The NHRC-CPT hopes that the fourth UPR cycle will become a central instrument for the Lebanese Republic in shaping its human rights policy. The government should, therefore, establish a follow-up and review mechanism for the recommendations emanating from the UPR and the UN treaty bodies, which engages all levels of the state and ensures the participation of civil society and the national human rights institution.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Lebanese Republic <\/b>| <\/b>National Human Rights Commission, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (NHRC-CPT)<\/b><\/h1>\n

Fourth Review of Lebanon under the<\/span><\/h1>\n

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)<\/span><\/h1>\n

UPR Submission by the<\/span><\/h1>\n

NHRI of Lebanon<\/span><\/h1>\n

July 2025<\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

A. Preliminary remarks\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. The National Human Rights Commission, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (NHRC-CPT), is Lebanon\u2019s independent National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) and designated National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). The Commission is mandated to monitor Lebanon\u2019s compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law and to issue special or periodic reports on its findings. It is further tasked with monitoring and documenting violations of human rights and international humanitarian law during periods of armed conflict<\/span>1<\/span><\/a> and actively working through all available means to combat impunity and promote accountability.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. This submission cannot provide a comprehensive picture of the human rights situation in Lebanon, nor a detailed assessment of all 297 recommendations made in the third UPR cycle of 2021. Instead, it focuses on areas that the Commission considers particularly important. Issues that the NHRC-CPT considers to be of particular concern and that should be taken up in recommendations to Lebanon are italicized. This submission focuses on the years 2021-2025, during which Lebanon has been, and continues to be, confronted with several crises and their serious consequences: economic collapse and denial of socioeconomic rights; deep political and institutional paralysis and recurring constitutional vacuums; Israeli aggression and internal displacement.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. The NHRC-CPT hopes that the fourth UPR cycle will become a central instrument for the Lebanese Republic in shaping its human rights policy. The government should, therefore, establish a follow-up and review mechanism for the recommendations emanating from the UPR and the UN treaty bodies, which engages all levels of the state and ensures the participation of civil society and the national human rights institution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    B. Suggested topics to be taken into account by the Human Rights Council Working Group for the 4th Universal Periodic Review of Lebanon<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I. <\/b>Weak Institutionalization of NHRI and NPM<\/b><\/h3>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. During the third UPR review, Lebanon accepted twelve recommendations to speed up the establishment of the National Independent Commission for Human Rights, which includes the establishment of a permanent national committee to prevent torture <\/span>2<\/span><\/a>. Despite the efforts and actions taken since the ratification of Law No. 62\/2016, the Lebanese government has not demonstrated a commitment to taking serious and practical actions without delay to enable NHRC-CPT to commence operations with adequate personnel and financial resources, thereby ensuring its effective and independent work. Despite all challenges and obstacles, the Commission managed, driven by its members\u2019 effort and donors\u2019 support, to fulfill its role in the human rights sector through organizing local, regional, and international activities on the protection and promotion of human rights and participating in such activities <\/span>3<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Since March 2018, when the first members of the NHRC-CPT were appointed, and up until July 2025, four governments have succeeded one another in Lebanon. All of them failed to adopt the regulatory decrees necessary for the Commission’s functioning. According to its founding Law, five regulatory decrees are required: the internal regulations, the financial regulations, the code of ethics, the decree on members’ monthly compensation, and the decree on contracting arrangements. In addition, a cabinet decision should be issued to allocate a vacant, state-owned premises for the NHRC-CPT<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Lebanon acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment pursuant to Law No. 12, issued on 5 September 2008. In accordance with Article 17 of the Protocol, the State committed to establishing an independent National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) within a maximum period of one year. Lebanon has also exhausted the five-year deferral period permitted under Article 24 of the Protocol. Sixteen years later, it has yet to fully fund, institutionalize, or guarantee the independence of the NPM.<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. The Lebanese Ministry of Justice has adopted an arbitrary approach in its handling of the activation of the NHRC-CPT. It has disregarded official letters and correspondence addressed to it, as well as the legal studies conducted to refute the unlawful claims raised concerning the adoption of the Commission\u2019s internal regulations, which were submitted to the State Council, the judicial body authorized to provide legal opinions on decrees. The Commission fully complied with all the observations provided by the Council in Opinion No. 7\/2021\u20132022, dated 23 November 2021. A revised version of the internal regulations was subsequently submitted to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which has nonetheless refrained from including an item related to the review and adoption of the Commission\u2019s decrees on its agenda.<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. NHRC-CPT led years-long advocacy campaigns in response to administrative practices imposed by the Ministry of Finance, which threatened its independence. In 2020, the Ministry took steps to amend the law governing the Commission, placing it under the financial authority of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. After the NHRC-CPT succeeded in securing a legislative amendment following an intense advocacy battle in Parliament, the Minister of Finance issued Decision No. 518\/1, which provided for the inclusion of a dedicated chapter for the Commission in the state budget under the section for independent national bodies. It also created a new budget line (No. 1073) titled \u201cProtection and Promotion of Human Rights.\u201d Although the Commission\u2019s budget <\/span>4<\/span><\/a> was included in the general state budget for the years 2023\u20132025, the limited funds allocated, combined with the continued absence of an approved financial regulation and a decree on fixed monthly compensation, have left the Commission institutionally fragile and financially insecure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n