Statement Of The United Nations Development Programme

There is no shortage of strategies and plans, analyses and statistics, approaches and measures. What we need is a renewed determination and willingness to bring actors together in one unstinting effort. Kofi Anan, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty October 17, 1997
During the first six years of the 90s, world conferences emphasized the urgency of eradicating poverty. The World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, attended by representatives of 185 governments and an unprecedented 117 heads of states and government - sharpened the focus. Countries committed themselves to the goal of eradicating poverty as an "ethical, social, political and moral imperative of humankind".
Accordingly the General Assembly in 1995 proclaimed the First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006). UNDP is helping 80 countries, including Lebanon, develop strategies to improve living conditions of people. Part of this work involves poverty mapping, i.e. to know who and where are poor people and what are their characteristics, etc.
The Government of Lebanon has repeatedly emphasized its focus towards social development in the midst of its immense reconstruction programme. The agenda of the new government in 1996, adopted four areas of priority, namely, social issues such as education and health, administrative reform, the repatriation of persons displaced during the civil war and the environment. The Government programme also highlighted the promotion of small and medium enterprises and employment creation. UNDP has been assisting the Lebanese Government in various sectors of social development, including the Integrated Rural Development Programme of Baalbeck-Hermel, the Reintegration and socio-Economic Rehabilitation of the Displaced Persons, Post-conflict Rehabilitation in Southern Lebanon, Reform of the Basic Education Programme, and Strengthening Institutions for Women Enterprise Development. Furthermore, UNDP cooperates to improving the state of statistics on living conditions, notably through a National Household Living Standards Measurement Survey (CAS, 1998), a Manpower and a Labor Market Survey (NEO, 1997) and a Gender and Poverty Profile of Baalbeck-Hermel.
The Ministry of Social Affairs has been a pioneer in analyzing poverty and living conditions in Lebanon. The Ministry coordinated and prepared the National Report for the World Summit for Social Development; the report was among the first documents to point to relative deprivation and difficult living conditions in the country. The Ministry also executed a national survey of population and demographic and related characteristics, which produced a comprehensive set of data for the first time in several decades. At the implementation level, the Ministry - aware of the important services that the network of social development centers can offer - has pushed ahead to rehabilitate these centers across the country.
To define and implement focused policies and targeted programmes for eradication/alleviation of poverty is not easy. Concepts and definitions need to be agreed - in particular what constitute significant social disparities.
The UNDP Regional Poverty Strategy Initiative (PSI) was initiated for Lebanon through an expert mission to identify the conceptual characteristics of relative poverty in Lebanon. On the basis of these recommendations, UNDP assisted the Ministry of Social Affairs to examine relevant indicators in order to determine relevant and targeted interventions.
The "Mapping of Living Conditions for Lebanon" is the first mapping to be undertaken in Lebanon. It focuses on the level of satisfaction of Basic Needs - Basic Needs poverty as opposed to income poverty. It is essentially an analysis of the data produced by the Housing and Population Survey conducted by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The Mapping of Living Conditions for Lebanon is designed to provide sufficient information needed for the elaboration of programmes and projects aimed to improve living conditions in Lebanon. Its objective is not limited to the presentation of further data, rather to be used as a tool for policy makers in targeting their interventions for social development, where it is relevant.
The Mapping for Living Conditions has so far culminated in the elaboration of a project aimed to formulate A National Programme for Improving Living Conditions of the Poor in Lebanon". Through this project, UNDP will support the efforts of the Ministry of Social Affairs to design a national programme of action, implement targeted interventions in disadvantaged areas and promote the participation of all sectors of society and the government to work together towards improving living conditions in Lebanon.
The challenges of poverty eradication/alleviation are tremendous. Unfortunately, to date the means available do not match. But the policies that can give individuals, households and communities expanded access to economic and social assets are known. The policies required do not amount to charity, but to empowerment and investment. In Lebanon, the will increasingly exists to tackle the issues.
	Yves de San Resident representative United Nations developant Programme, Lebanon.