The British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, hosted a
reception in honour of the Minister of Social Affairs (MoSA)
Haneen Sayed and a visiting research team from the Institute of
Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Sussex,
reaffirming the United Kingdom's strong and long-standing
partnership with Lebanon on social protection and gender
equality.
The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders,
including Members of Parliament from the UK and Lebanon, local
and regional partners, civil society representatives,
journalists, and advocates, to celebrate ongoing collaboration
and shared priorities in advancing an inclusive social protection
system in Lebanon.
The UK is playing a leading role globally on social protection in
fragile and conflict-affected countries. Lebanon was one of four
focus countries chosen by the IDS to assess and understand the
role of social protection in the context of recurring shocks,
protracted conflict and forced displacement.
The event highlighted a range of UK support on social protection
in Lebanon and announced new partnerships with MoSA, ILO and
UNFPA.
This year the UK is supporting the Ministry of Social Affairs'
Aman social safety net in reaching more than 200,000 additional
vulnerable Lebanese. This follows the UK assistance during the
war in 2024 through the World Food Programme (WFP) for the MoSA's
Shock Responsive Safety Net, which also supported 200,000
Lebanese households.
The UK also announced partnerships with the ILO and UNFPA, in
line with the UK's commitment to supporting vital services at the
same time as strengthening the national systems that deliver
them:
The UK has extended its partnership with MoSA and the ILO on
strengthening three key areas of Lebanon's national social
protection system: pension system reforms, social health
protection, and support to MoSA's Rights and Access programme for
persons with disabilities
On gender inequality and inclusive service delivery, the UK has
agreed a new partnership with UNFPA. This will support the
implementation of the National Strategy for Women in Lebanon, by
partnering with the National Commission for Lebanese Women. It
will also involve working closely with MoSA on the prevention of,
and services relating to, gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual
and reproductive health through its Social Development Centres.
During the reception, Kate McDermott, Head of Development and
Humanitarian Team & Deputy Development Director said:
The United Kingdom is proud of our partnership with the
Government, protecting the most vulnerable and advancing gender
equality. Through the UK's varied support and close collaboration
with the Ministry of Social Affairs, the UK is putting evidence
into action by providing direct assistance to vulnerable Lebanese
through national systems whilst making those systems even
stronger and more inclusive.
