Young people are engaged citizens, their creativity is leveraged, they find economic opportunities in Lebanon

Guarantee equal rights and civic duties to all citizens

1.The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MINJES) set the age bracket for youth in Lebanon as 15- 29 years old based on socio- economic characteristics relevant to Lebanon

2.The youth compose approximately half of the population of Lebanon (41% under the age of 24)

3.Having such a large youth population provides the state with the potential for a substantial amount of human capital to stimulate economic growth and support dependent members of the population

4.Lebanon has evolved into a vibrant terrain for youth-focused NGOs, grassroots groups, and tech entrepreneurs

5.Lebanon currently holds the highest literacy rate in the region with 90% of the population literate. Furthermore, the school enrolment rate is 98% and there are approximately 40,000 university graduates per year, with 29% of them in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects

1.Youth employment rate

2.Youth emigration rate

3.Youth participation in elections

4.Youth Development Index

5.Global Youth Wellbeing Index (Lebanon excluded)

6.Youth Progress Index

7.Global Competitiveness Report (WEF)

1.The Lebanese youth is marginalized by society. The youth represent 66% of the unemployed; 0% of elected MPs; and the majority of internal and external emigrants

2.The youth represent 41% of the labor force; in 2019, national estimates for unemployment among those between the ages of 15-24 stood at 23.5% (21.4% for females and 24.5% for males), but this rate is increasing significantly following the severe financial and economic crises

3.Jobs occupied by the youth are mainly low paying with little to no career advancement prospects (waiters, valet car park, security, etc.)

4.One third of the population aged between 15 and 29 would like to emigrate (with parents’ encouragement)

5.The minimum age for voting is set at 21 years

1.While the MINJES distributed $5.5 Million in 2018 to help individuals (1%), municipalities (42%) and clubs (57%) in the sports domain, no substantial vision nor activities for other youth programs were presented

2.The key goals of the youth are to improve their standards of living and to achieve independence from parents; Inhibiting factors include the turbulent political situation, difficult labor market conditions, and unemployment

3.Limited employment opportunities in Lebanon and higher wages in foreign markets, especially in Arab Gulf countries, are driving increasing youth emigration

4.Regional disparities in income and wealth lead to unequal opportunities for young people living in rural areas, both in terms of education and employment

5.A skills mismatch problem prevails, as the higher education system’s offer does not meet the needs of the labor market

6.Over 35 universities and “institutes or university colleges” are licensed by the government, but many offer low quality education while charging high tuition rates

7.The absence of engaging civic education programs, along with late minimum age for voting, both delay the willingness and ability of the young to participate effectively in the public / political life

1.In 2000, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MINIJES) was established as an independent public institution to regulate sports, youth clubs, and scouts. As a result, 90 such associations were given licenses in 2018

2.In 2009, MINIJES developed a special department for youth-related matters

3.In 2010, MINJES published a National Sports Strategy

4.In 2012, MINJES published a Document on National Youth Policy that comprised recommendations for youth policy and was working in 2018 on designing an action plan to implement the policy

1.Review the mandate of the MINJES as most of its activities are for sports, and not for youth. Review the Document on National Youth Policy and have it enacted by the Council of Ministers (COM) and executed by COM’s Presidency (PCM)

2.Establish career guidance offices in public and private universities and vocational schools, particularly at the Lebanese University

3.Conduct youth training to solve the skill mismatch problem between the labor market and university graduates

4.Encourage companies to adopt more internships and training opportunities for students and graduates

5.Encourage youth employment by wavering the Social Security charges and actively engaging the National Employment Office

6.Create jobs in productive sectors that create demand for skilled workers, thus reducing emigration of young people

7.Create at least 30,000 jobs annually through investment in the food, pharmaceutical, digital services, and tourism industries (new entrants to labor market before 2019 crises were estimated at 40,000 annually)

8.Invest in the entrepreneurial and innovation eco-system

9.Assist young people to become entrepreneurs capable of creating and sustaining profitable small enterprises which will further create employment

10.Plan development programs with the aim of rectifying disparities in development between the different areas of Lebanon to address the problem of internal migration from rural to urban areas

11.Promote the culture of sports (benefits are better health, team spirit and collaboration, mindset of competition, etc.)

12.Empower youth to become active citizens and engage in public participation

13.Lower the voting age to 18 years

14.Prohibit marriages, with or without parental consent, for individuals under the legal age of adulthood (18)