Closure of the Social Dialogue Enhancement Project
The “Social Dialogue Enhancement” project was concluded at the headquarters of the Economic and Social Council. The initiative, which lasted several years, brought together the Ministry of Labor, the General Labor Union, employers, and was organized by the European NGO “GOPA”, hosted by the Economic and Social Council.
Closing remarks
During the ceremony, the Director General of the Economic and Social Council, Dr. Mohammad Sifeddine, delivered the Council’s speech.
He stressed that:
- A comprehensive understanding of work defines the value of the individual within society
- Work is the main source of added value in any economy
- Social dialogue was created as a set of mechanisms to protect society from natural economic and social imbalances
He also explained that economic indicators are essentially a condensed reflection of collective efforts across all levels of work, from the lowest to the highest.
He added that successful economic policies aim to serve the largest number of people, starting from the weakest groups, while also enabling higher-level actors to grow, as they are responsible for generating employment and economic demand.
Key findings of the studies
1. Housing sector study
The Economic and Social Council recommended issuing a neutral housing price index due to distortions in the real estate market. Key recommendations included:
- Introducing demand-side interventions, including strengthening rental and rent-to-own schemes
- Increasing subsidized housing loans through the Public Institution for Housing
- Providing liquidity through targeted loans to support housing credit
- Allowing commercial banks to reallocate funds toward subsidized housing loans via the Central Bank
- Improving housing supply through state-supported affordable housing models (including inclusive housing in urban areas)
- Imposing taxes on vacant apartments to reduce speculation
- Regulating new rental contracts to stabilize prices
- Introducing a new zoning and urban planning law to regulate real estate supply
2. Unemployment study
The study identified three main dimensions:
- Labor demand
- Labor supply
- Matching between supply and demand
It recommended establishing several institutions and mechanisms, including:
- Coordination bodies linking vocational and technical education institutions with municipalities and public authorities
- A central evaluation center for skills assessment and certification
- Mobile training incubators in rural areas
- A support body for incubators and SMEs to enhance value creation
- Strengthening quality culture within Lebanese institutions
- Restructuring vocational and technical education
- Activating the Higher Council for Vocational Education
- Licensing universities and vocational institutions
- Establishing quotas for certain specialties
- National campaigns promoting vocational education
- Early career guidance in schools
- A national training plan and coordination body for training providers
- A national online employment platform
- Training in communication and human resources management
Conclusion
The project highlighted that social dialogue is essential for addressing structural economic challenges in Lebanon, particularly in housing, employment, and education. It also emphasized the need for coordinated reforms, institutional restructuring, and long-term national strategies to improve labor market efficiency and social stability.
