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Lebanon

Monthly Event Reports

February 2024 | Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel intensify
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Recent developments have seen a significant escalation in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, characterized by intensified missile and rocket exchanges and airstrikes. The situation deteriorated in early February when Israeli airstrikes resulted in civilian casualties and injuries to a Hezbollah leader. Hezbollah retaliated with a missile attack on an Israeli base causing military casualties. The conflict further intensified on 26 February, with Israel's airstrikes on Baalbek marking the deepest incursion into Lebanese territory since 7 October, prompting Hezbollah to launch a substantial rocket attack on an Israeli base in the Golan Heights. Additionally, Hamas launched rockets from Lebanon into Israel on 28 February. Israel’s attacks have damaged Lebanon's infrastructure and agriculture and have displaced over 86,000 people. Diplomatic efforts are scant, with Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stating attacks on Hezbollah will continue.

November 2023 | Surging conflict in southern Lebanon

Throughout November, violence has escalated in Lebanon amid heightened tensions with ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah. The conflict began on 7 October with Hezbollah launching explosive drones and missiles at Israeli positions and Israel responding with airstrikes on several towns and villages in south Lebanon. On 5 November, an Israeli air strike resulted in four civilian deaths, including three children and is being investigated as a potential war crime by Human Rights Watch. Similarly, airstrikes by Hezbollah have reportedly resulted in numerous civilians injured and one casualty. The conflict area appears to be widening, with claims of rocket launches from Hamas within Lebanon towards Israeli cities. The hostilities have caused over 80 fatalities among Hezbollah fighters and at least ten Israeli soldiers, resulting in the displacement of over 46,000 Lebanese residents.

April 2023 | Parliament postpones municipal elections

On 18 April, the Lebanese parliament voted to postpone municipal elections for a second time. Municipal elections are supposed to be held every 6 years and were originally due to take place in May 2022. At that time, they were postponed for 12 months as they coincided with the parliamentary elections. This second postponement entails an extension of the terms of local officials who were elected in 2016 for a maximum of one year (until 31 May 2024). This additional postponement is due to the failure of the fragmented cabinet to approve legislation that would allocate funding for the election. The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections issued a statement condemning the vote, described as ‘undermining the democratic process and the principles of good governance’ and claims the extension is depriving citizens of the democratic process and the right to elect their representatives.

February 2023 | Investigation into port explosion and economic collapse obstructed

After a 13-month stalemate generated by legal complaints and pressure by political elites, lead investigator Judge Tarek Bitar announced that the inquiry into the deadly Beirut port explosions of 2020 would resume at the end of January 2023. Bitar indicted, among others, eight senior officials, including Lebanon’s Prosecutor General Ghassan Oweidat and former Prime Minister Hassan Diab. The decision to resume the investigation was challenged by Oweidat, who issued charges against Bitar for allegedly ‘exceeding his powers.’ Similarly, targeted politicians filed at least 25 complaints requesting that Bitar and other judges involved in the case be dismissed. Interrogations were suspended from 6 February until these legal complaints have been adjudicated. Similarly, efforts to advance a stalled probe into the banking sector’s corruption and economic mismanagement –which contributed to Lebanon’s 2019 financial system collapse – were obstructed in February by Prosecutor General Oweidat. The lead investigator, Judge Ghada Aoun, charged two senior bankers for money laundering, and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh for money laundering, illicit enrichment, and embezzlement. Oweidat and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati requested that Aoun halt all investigative work. Oweidat further instructed the security forces not to implement Aoun's judicial decisions.

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GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
6 769 150
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Najib Mikati (since 2021)
Head of government party
Azm Movement
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
6.3%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2022
Head of state
President Najib Mikati (Acting)
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (assembly)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
18/01/2021
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
60.27%
Population Tooltip
6 769 150
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Najib Mikati (since 2021)
Head of government party
Azm Movement
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
6.3%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2022
Head of state
President Najib Mikati (Acting)
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (assembly)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
18/01/2021
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
60.27%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
Signatory
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Signatory
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
No Action
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
Arab Charter on Human Rights
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rights
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rule of law
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Participation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024

Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

Use the slider below to see how democratic performance has changed over time

0 10