Three-year $9.3 million local government reform initiative targeting major municipalities formalized in official ceremony at the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MOIM)

In an official ceremony on June 18, 2009 at the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MOIM) the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between USAID, the Ministry, and SUNY/CLD was signed to provide assistance to municipalities, municipal unions, and central agencies under the three-year local governance reform initiative Assistance to Sustain Local Democratic Practices in Lebanon.

With the support of USAID, SUNY/CLD has implemented a series of successful programs focused on enhancing democratic practices and the overall quality of governance in Lebanon. Building on progress achieved to date, the current initiative is focused on further enhancement of municipal productivity and performance through specialized technical assistance to municipalities, municipal unions, regional governments, central agencies, and the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MOIM).

Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ziad Baroud recognized the importance of further developing municipal technical and human resource capacities to enable mandates to be fulfilled, and specifically noted the need for mayors elected in 2010 to be trained which is a component of the SUNY/CLD program.

USAID Mission Director in Lebanon Denise Herbol emphasized that "the current assistance, designed to strengthen local democratic practices, complements the achievements of previous SUNY/CLD and USAID programs targeting municipalities, unions, governorates, districts and the MOIM."

Despite ongoing national and regional conflicts the 2010 municipal elections in Lebanon will be the third consecutive held since 1998 marking both a significant continuation of local democratic practices and an opportunity to promote improved relations between citizens and representative institutions. Addressing several key issues facing municipalities including the challenges to sustained local democratic practices posed by the change of leadership that will occur following the municipal elections scheduled for 2010, the program outlines a number of activities prior to and following the elections.

The program encompasses several activities prior to the elections to raise citizen awareness of municipal responsibilities and encourage participation in the election process. Efforts will also be focused on facilitating compliance with municipal financial reporting requirements prior to the elections to ensure continuity in the critical budgeting process as a key component of a balanced transition between councils.

Following the elections the project will address the need for developing the capabilities of municipal presidents new to the executive office of local government. Based on most recent election results in 2004, it is estimated that roughly 60% of the total or more than 500 presidents will be serving as the head of their local government for the first time.

Related program activities address are planned to address the sustainability of the local government modernization achieved to date with efforts centered on strengthening institutional resources to enable legal, technical, and training support to be effectively provided to municipalities.

Beirut Municipality, the capital city that serves a permanent resident population of approximately 1.0 million or roughly 25% of Lebanon's citizens, is targeted for specific assistance to support modernization across all departments at relatively commensurate levels. In addition, the major municipalities of Tripoli, Zahleh, Saida, Baabda, and Bourj Hammoud will be provided extensive assistance to modernize their administrative organizational structures.