Reforming the constitution to better resolve political crises through dialogue
International IDEA has led a dialogue process on constitutional reform in Lebanon since 2017. In partnership with a leading Lebanese think tank and all the German political foundations that are present in Lebanon, International IDEA created a working group consisting of members of many of Lebanon’s main political parties, leading activists and legal experts to support efforts to reform the country’s constitution. The working group has met regularly for the past three years to discuss possible future improvements to the constitution.
The project is motivated by an understanding that Lebanon’s political crises were increasing in frequency and intensity, and that the constitution was not helping to resolve those crises.
In 2019, after three years of deliberation, the group agreed on a set of recommendations that were made public. These recommendations have since been the focus of many debates across Lebanon, leading to an informed conversation about possible constitutional reforms.
The working group’s deliberations represented the first meaningful and practical discussion of how to improve Lebanon’s constitution after identifying the issues. In the context of the current uprising, International IDEA’s project has shown that agreement on an improved system of governance is possible and within reach. Working group members are coordinating internally in order to positively influence the national debate on governance reform.
International IDEA inspired political parties, leading activists and legal experts to form a working group to develop recommendations for constitutional reform with a view to positively influence the national debate on governance reform in Lebanon.
Read more stories about International IDEA's results in our Annual Outcome Report 2019: Democracy In Action.
