Dr. Mneymneh Meets Switzerland’s Special Envoy to the Near-East Peace Process in Lebanon

Following an invitation extended by the Swiss Government, LPDC Chairman, former minister Dr. Hassan Mneymneh and LPDC Project Manager Abdelnasser el-Ayi, participated in the extraordinary AdCom meeting, held in Geneva on the 7th of March. The meeting was held to discuss UNRWA’s financial deficit and the need to ensure sustainability.

 

Dr. Mneymneh reconfirmed Lebanon’s support for the international agency’s duties and goals. He stressed as well on the need for donor countries to honor their commitment to ensure the country’s needs. “The role of UNRWA is part of the region’s stability as a whole, and of Lebanon’s stability in particular. Any solution to solve the International Agency’s funding issue should not affect its original mandate under any circumstances” said Dr. Mneymenh.
Participants stressed on the importance of the Agency’s sustainability to offer all core services without any limitations. They urged donor countries to be committed to UN’s financial budget. 

 

The extraordinary meeting of the Advisory Commission chaired by Switzerland and vice-chaired by Turkey was held following the consultation issued by the UN resolution in September 2016 to reveal all possible means to insure the funding for UNRWA and to submit a detailed report in March 2017 to the Secretary General.

 

On another hand, Switzerland’s special envoy to the Near-East peace process, Roland Steininger, met during his visit to Lebanon Dr. Mneymneh accompanied by Nicolas Masson, the first Secretary of the Swiss Embassy in Beirut, and Hassan Tyar, Steininger’s counselor, to discuss the local situation in the light of meetings he held in the region. Mneymneh mentioned LPDC’s Census Project and the inter-Lebanese dialogue about Palestinian refugees’ issues. He highlighted the participation of hundreds of Lebanese and Palestinian youth in the field work, covering all Palestinian camps and gatherings to provide an accurate database aiming to improve the living conditions of Palestinians in Lebanon.