10 years later, Lebanon reactivates National Authority for People with Disabilities

BEIRUT — On Sunday, after a decade of institutional paralysis, Lebanon held elections for the National Authority responsible for supporting people with disabilities, a long-awaited step for associations and activists in the sector that now allows the committee to reactivate its programs.

The elections, organized at eight accredited centers across the country, resulted in the selection of sixteen members of the authority, which is attached to the Ministry of Social Affairs, including four representatives directly affiliated with the ministry.

Official figures show modest turnout: 1,085 people with special needs took part in the vote out of a total of 46,635 registered, while 20 associations voted among the 163 eligible.

The composition of the Authority is based on distribution among three colleges. Four seats were awarded to associations directly hosting people with disabilities, four to associations providing services, and four to individuals with special needs elected in their own capacity.

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In the first category, the Social Service Association for the Security of Childhood (Sesobel) won the seat for physical disability with seven votes, while the Mabarrat Association secured the seat for visual impairment by acclamation, the Père Roberts Foundation for Deaf Youth won the auditory impairment seat, also uncontested, and the Islamic Orphanage won the seat for intellectual disability with nine votes.

In the services associations college, the Charity Association for Aid to the Wounded and War-Disabled in Lebanon won the seat for physical disability, the Association of Blind Lebanese Graduates secured the one for visual impairment, and the Arcenciel Association the seat for auditory impairment, all awarded by acclamation. The seat reserved for intellectual disability remained vacant due to a lack of candidates.

For individual candidacies, Elias Tannous was elected to represent people with physical disabilities (307 votes), Mohammad Jaloul for visual impairment (477 votes), Shafiq Qalilat for auditory impairment (by acclamation), and Moussa Charafeddine for intellectual disability (48 votes).

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Authority's main mission will be to bring Lebanese legislation into line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by President Joseph Aoun in April 2025.

Signed by Lebanon in 2007, the convention enshrines a rights-based approach and guarantees the full and equal enjoyment of fundamental freedoms by people with disabilities, respecting their dignity.

On a national level, Lebanon has had Law 220 on the rights and protection of people with disabilities since 2000. However, its implementation remains very limited.