SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Introduction

SDG 16 aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

IUL believes that strong institutions require new forms of governance based on participation and democracy. The university believes that in order to achieve progress, development and economic prosperity in Lebanon, there has to be an ultimate respect for the rule of law and the judicial institutions in the country.

True democracy has to prevail. True representation and participation of people have to exist in institutions to make them more effective. Once they become more effective, the whole society will benefit and this will lead to more justice and more investment by businesses locally and internationally leading to economic development, higher standard of living and more human rights respect.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Institutions can only operate effectively and efficiently in environments that are peaceful. They can work effectively with institutions where it is easy to predict operating costs and where there exists stability in the working environments. Responsible business practices have to be implemented with integrity and professionalism so that additional risks and costs could be minimized or prevented (financial risk, credit risk, legal risk and reputational risk) not just to the business itself but also to the shole society where these businesses operate. The rule of law could never be undermined.

Corruption is a main reason for inefficiencies in markets because it makes transaction costs uncertain leading to anti-competitiveness, and hampering businesses’ abilities to develop and comply with human rights and many other obligations.

A responsible institution. is a strong institution. It can through what it does as core business, its strategic and social investment, its engagement in public policy and collective action make a great contribution to peace, development and prosperity. This is all achieved in parallel with meeting the objectives of the institution. In addition, institutions need to commit to joining effort with the public sector and civil society to eliminate corruption in all its shapes and forms. They need to also support strengthening of the rule of law. By focusing on the ways responsible institutions operate such as fighting corruption, abiding and supporting the rule of law as well as fighting cronyism, societies will develop economically and prosperity will prevail and human rights will be more respected.  

 SDG 16 aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. 

IUL believes that strong institutions require new forms of governance based on participation and democracy. The university believes that in order to achieve progress, development and economic prosperity in Lebanon, there has to be an ultimate respect for the rule of law and the judicial institutions in the country. True democracy has to prevail. True representation and participation of people have to exist in institutions to make them more effective. Once they become more effective, the whole society will benefit and this will lead to more justice and more investment by businesses locally and internationally leading to economic development, higher standard of living and more human rights respect. 

IUL and peace, justice and strong institutions: 

The Islamic University of Lebanon has established several centers and committees to support its community such as INOVEC (Innovation and Entrepreneurship center), TLC, CBCC Training, Continuous learning and capacity building career center and TORC Tutorial and Orientation center. In addition, IUL guarantees the freedom of expression and the relevance of discussion and participation. For this reason, it has established a journal that covers many topics and it is open for all doctors to write and publish their works called the voice of the university (Sawt Eljameaa).  

There are many Doctors that give their expertise in different fields in the governmental institution’s ministries and public departments also in committees especially in the faculty of law. 

Enterprise 

Field of work 

Name 

Private office 

Lawyer 

Ahmad Hajjal 

Interior Security forces 

Officer 

Ahmad Hmede 

Ministry of Justice 

Judge 

Asaad Bayram 

Parliament 

worker 

Achraf Baydon 

Ministry of Justice 

Judge 

Habib Mezher 

Ministry of Health 

consultant 

Hsein Mhaydle 

Private office 

Lawyer 

Samer Baalbake 

Private office 

Lawyer 

Salam Abd lsamad 

Dar aleftaa Aljaafare 

Mufti al hermel 

Abdo Kataya 

Parliament 

Consultant 

Arafat Chamseldine 

Private Office 

Lawyer 

Claude Mcheik 

Ministry of justice 

Judge 

Kamal Almokdad 

Social Security 

Observer 

Lara Alakom 

Private office 

Lawyer 

Mohammad Halablab 

Council of Ministers 

Legal officer on a project concerning syrian refugees for UNDP 

May Hamoud 

Private office 

Lawyer 

Mohamad ALchami 

Private office 

Lawyer 

Malak Daakor 

Council for development and reconstruction 

Legal consultant 

Maysaa Chour 

Ministry of Justice 

Judge 

Nidal ALchaer 

Private office 

Lawyer 

Jinan Tfaily 

BBAC 

Bank manager 

Wael Dbayse 

South Lebanon water corporation 

Department head 

Hsien ELgoul 

Ministry of Justice 

Judge and previous General Manager 

Khayreye Nwayre 

MEAB 

employee 

Rola Assi 

Private Office 

lawyer 

Abas Kabalan 

Private Office 

Lawyer 

Ghada Sabra 

Ministry of economics 

employee 

Nader Hamoud 

Private office 

Lawyer 

Ghadi Mokaled 

Private office 

Lawyer 

Rabih Jaafar 

Private office 

Parliamentary journal 

Lawyer 

Researcher and writer 

Abas Jaber 

Khodr Yassin 

Faculty of Engineering  

  • Mohammad Ayach, Executive committee member of computing colleges information system in the association of arab universities 
  • Samar Sindian, Member of program evaluation committee at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education 
  • Amthal Hakim, Member of the public safety –Engineers syndicate 
  • Ousama Mostafa, Member of the Universities Association of Lebanon UAL- Quality Assurance Unit.) 
  • Hassan Noura Member of program evaluation committee at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education 
  • Jamal Haidar, Advisor for the president of the Order of Engineers and Architects (OEA), Beirut 
  • Member of the board of directors of FISUEL (International Federation of the Safety of Electricity Users) 
  • Head of the Federal Committee of the Electrical Safety, Federation of Lebanese Engineers 
  • Head of the Lebanese Electrotechnical Committee for IEC 
  • Member of the Libnor Committee at OEA 

Faculty of Economics & Business Administration Instructor’s Name, Department, Job Description  

  • Dr. Hassan wazni, Management General Manager of Nabih Berri Governmental University, NabatiehLebanon 
  • Dr. Mohamad abdo, Management Court judge in Sidon.  
  • Dr. Faraj Hmedeh, Accounting Chartered Financial Auditor: Ministry of justice, Beirut- Lebanon.  
  • Dr. Hassan wazni, Management Coordinator of economics at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon; the Directorate of Guidance and Orientation.  
  • Dr. Mohamad Ghadder, Accounting Senior auditor at the Audit Bureau in Lebanon. 
  • Mr. Mohamad Hadla, Management Information System Business Analyst; E-Declaration Forms Project for Ministry of Finance  
  • Mrs. Sarah Mahfouz Banking & Finance Chief of department at Ministry of Finance, Baalbak– Lebanon  
  • M. Hala Ghareeb, Banking & Finance Senior economist and statistician in the Qaraoun Master Plan project with the Ministry of the Environment, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and ELARD S.A.L.  
  • Mr. Mohamad Masri, Accounting Administrative and financial controller at EDL (Électricité du Liban-Établissement public), Beirut-Lebanon.  
  • Mr. Hicham Fawaz, Banking & Finance Chief of the Department of Hospitals at the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health  
  • Mr. Mohamad Bazzoun, Accounting Director of the Social Security Center in TyrLebanon 

Faculty of Tourism Sciences  

  • Dr.Rayan Haidar, Hotel Management -Tourism Inspector-certifications Department -Head of Section-Youth and Local Bodies Department. 

And also on the regional level we have participated in many regional competitions and the IUL strategy is to help law students in different fields and which was stated in decision no 1716/2008. 

First Making many training sessions for law students to pass the Bar of advocates exam, the entrance exam to the Institute of Judicial Studies and also for the Notary Public and many public departments like embassies, ministries and the palace of justice in Lebanon. 

Second participating in many competitions on the international, regional and national level stated below: 

Paritcipation in the Monroe E. Price media law moot court competition 7th Middle East Regional Rounds in Cairo regarding Human rights (freedom of expression and the right of privacy) which took place in the BUE in Egypt from 4-2-2018 till 13- 2 – 2018 [1]. 

Coach: Dr. Abas Jaber and Dr. Jinan Tfaily 

Team: Sara KanaanRuba Bou KhzamNermen Jaafar, Mohammad Jaber, Suzan Bedawi and Reem Araji. 

We won on one team the Egyptian team. 

Participation in the moot Arab court convening International Humanitarian law on February 2019, which took place in the Bar of advocates in Beirut. Participants Suzan Bedawi, Ayman Baraket, Ayman el Haj and Zeinab Hamze. 

The Inter University Programme on International Criminal Law and procedures October 2018-2019.  Our participants visited the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) from 1 to 5 September 2019 as part of a three-day study visit to The Hague.

The visit enabled the students who have attended the Inter-University Program on International Criminal Law and Procedure (IUP-ICLP) to see first-hand some of the institutions about which they had been studying. 

The graduation of the Inter University Program. Partitipants: Sara Kanaan, Suzan Bedawi , Malak Mousa and Ayman Hajj. 

Participation in the Regional Arabic moot court which was organized by KILAW and was hosted by the Lebanese University in Tripoli on 13 April 2019. We got the third place over 17 teams that participated.

Coach: Dr. Abas Jaber and Dr. Jinan Tfaily. 

Participants were: Sally Abd el khalekReem el Sayed ,Nathali Barake  Mahd AlMokdad. 

Participation in the Competition Interuniversitaire de Mediation en langue Arab and French DU CPM from 1 May till 5 May 2019.

Participants were Majd Elmokdad, Julia Nasrallah, Lina Zorkot, Reina Hassaneye and we took the second place in the competition. 

Participation in a Seminar that was held by the UNHCR in the ESCWA titled Political and Decision Making on June 2019. 

Particpants: Suzan Bedawi and Sara Kanaan. 

Participation in the conference on International arbitration and investment contracts hosted by the International Justicce Foundation for Judicial and Diplomatic Studies, on June 28-2019 

Participants were: Sara Kannan, Suzan Bedawi and Rouba Bou Khzam. 

Participation in the “Youth Discussion on Human Rights and COVID-19” on 18 June 2020 (Human Righs United Nations) Young Voices Matter, Participants were Sara Kanaan, Reina Hassaneye and Malak Mousa. 

IUL is in continuous collaboration with public actors. To illustrate, there are many Doctors that give their expertise in different fields in the governmental institutions, ministries and public departments also in committees especially in the faculty of law. IUL also organizes many training sessions for law students to pass the Bar of advocates exam, the entrance exam to the Institute of Judicial Studies and also for the Notary Public and many public departments like embassies, ministries and the palace of justice in Lebanon. The university students, especially in the faculty of Law, participate in many events and conferences to strengthen their skills and abilities in better understanding how the system works in order to better make decisions later on that will affect their societies. 

Moreover, the Islamic University of Lebanon undertakes policy-focused research in collaboration with government departments such as CNRS and provides a neutral platform and ‘safe’ space for different political stakeholders to come together to frankly discuss challenges. 

Also, IUL made many treaties with the Lebanese General Security dated 17-4-2019, the Lebanese Army dated 24-1-2020, Auf, IUF, UNESCO, CNRS dated 7-2-2019, and we have a strategic partnership with the National Association for science and research dated 12-11-2018 (iul.edu.lb) 

  • Implication de l’Université Islamique du Liban (IUL) envers le programme SAFAR de l’Institut français du Liban (IFL) Note rédigée par Sylvie Devigne et mise à jour le 20/10/2020 
  • Implication de l’Université Islamique du Liban (IUL) avec les projets de Médiation, de Droitd’égalité et de RSU&ODD de l’Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) en 2020 Note rédigée par Sylvie Devigne et mise à jour le 20/10/2020 
  • Implication de l’Université Islamique du Liban (IUL) avec la Chaire UNESCO de Bordeaux Note rédigée par Sylvie Devigne et mise à jour le 20/10/2020 

Conclusion and perspectives:  

The Islamic University of Lebanon understands very well that through student’s collaboration in the decision-making process at the university, the students’ voices will be better heard and their demands will be better met. As such, the university will activate students’ unions and student governments and allow the students to participate in the process of decision making. For this reason, IUL will implement a new system based on the technology of crowd mapping which allows students to raise their voice. It is worth mentioning, though, that the university currently utilizes the open-door-policy where students can cast their needs and concerns anytime. However, students’ governments are believed to be more efficient as they are better organized and more professional. Not only that, IUL is working on to ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. For this reason, IUL is trying to find the convenient way(s) to integrate the community members (teachers and students) in the decision-making process.  

In addition to the above, IUL is currently working to increase the network of collaborations with public and private actors. It will also launch a forum concerned in transparency and good governance. Moreover, IUL will foster the collaborations with local and national stakeholders and implement new policies that guarantee students and teachers complete freedom of speech and freedom in research.  

Moreover, the university will be ensuring public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements and it will promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development. The Faculty of Law at IUL will organize webinars on Lebanese laws and policies and will form committees that help people in judicial issues. 

In addition to what is stated above, IUL strongly believes and willing to cooperate on all issues related to reducing violence and death rates anywhere, ending all abuse and exploitation to children, promoting the rule of law, reducing illegal financial activities and flow of illegal arms, reducing bribery and corruption, developing accountable institutions, participating in global governance, helping in birth registration, ensuring public access to information, promoting international cooperation for institutions  and promoting and enforcing  non-discriminatory policies and laws.