Lebanon has a thriving and dynamic civil society where freedom of association is garneted and protected

Make fundamental rights and freedoms the heart of the Lebanese democracy

1. Freedom of association is the right to create or join a trade union, political party, any club or association. It encompasses both an individual's right to join or leave groups voluntarily, the right of the group to take collective action to pursue the interests of its members, and the right of an association to accept or decline membership based on certain criteria
2. Civil society is understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business it includes 1) the aggregate of NGOs and institutions that manifest interests and will of citizens or 2) individuals and organizations in a society which are independent of the government.

1. Yearly public funds allocated to the support of NGOs
2. Percentage of NGOs facing delays in obtaining a notification receipt
3. Freedom Status (freedomhouse)
4. Rule of Law Index (Factor 4) WJP

1. NGOs’ public sources of funding are scarce, making them vulnerable to being utilized for political or sectarian purposes
2. NGOs’ sources of funding are scarce, making them vulnerable to becoming dependent on private funders
3. Some NGOs fill the gap left by the government in terms of public services but in some instances they serve the political parties they are affiliated to and become effective channels for clientelism
4. NGOs face delays in obtaining a notification receipt despite having fulfilled the filing requirements

1. Lack of public funds allocated to the third sector
2. The utilization of NGOs by political parties and personalities to serve their political objectives through clientelism, hence perpetuating (on purpose) the weakness of the central state
3. The civil society in Lebanon had always been linked to the confessional diversity and the weakness of the state
4. Many civil society organization are still sectarian in nature, reflecting Lebanon‘s division into recognized religious communities

1. Lebanon has one of the most enabling legal and regulatory environments for civil society in the entire Arab world
2. Local NGOs are extremely active and, in some instances, they fill the gap left by the government in terms of public services

1. Create a “general interest” status for NGOs that would give them access to certain advantages. This status can be withdrawn at any time. To be recognized as a “general interest” an organization must meets some conditions like being not be for-profit, not work for the benefit of a small circle of people, have national scope of action not a local one, have a minimum number of members, have a democratic internal functioning, show a real financial stability, etc.
2. Create a fund for NGOs with a dedicated government budget (institutional change)
3. Strengthen non sectarian apolitical NGOs that fill the gap left by the government in terms of public services (institutional change, outsource to third sector)
4. Develop a legal framework to support NGOs private funding through Corporate Social Responsibility (institutional change)