Beirut – February 25, 2026 Under the patronage of His Excellency the President of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Nawaf Salam, represented by Vice Prime Minister Dr. Tarek Mitri, the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR), Dr. Fadi Makki, inaugurated the Behavioral Innovation and Digital Transformation Lab (BIND-Leb) on Wednesday morning at the Ministry’s headquarters in STARCO. The ceremony was attended by ministers, members of parliament, the President of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, ambassadors, diplomatic missions, international organizations, and academic representatives.

Funded by the European Union (EU) and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark (DANIDA), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Lab is a government platform that supports public institutions in designing, delivering, and evaluating better services. As a pillar of Lebanon’s reform toward transparent, accountable, and citizen-centric governance, it applies behavioral insights, digital tools, and data-driven experimentation to simplify procedures, reduce corruption risks, strengthen compliance, and enhance service quality, prototyping and testing solutions before scaling them across government.

UNDP Statement

Ms. Blerta Aliko, UNDP Resident Representative in Lebanon, emphasized that the Lab serves as a practical extension of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) and the broader governance reform agenda. She noted that BIND-Leb provides multidisciplinary support to the technical teams under the Technical Anti-Corruption Committee (TACCom), which guides the institutional anti-corruption framework. She added that Lebanon, supported by the UNDP and steadfast partners, specifically the European Union and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark, has made tangible progress in strengthening oversight institutions, judicial independence, and sectoral corruption risk management.

European Union Statement

Mr. Samy Saadi, Chargé d’Affaires a.i, of the European Union Delegation to Lebanon, stressed that reform is a gradual process, and that lasting change requires cooperation, patience, and shared responsibility. He reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting the Lebanese government in advancing administrative reform, promoting transparency and accountability, and improving the quality of public services.

Minister Makki’s Keynote

Minister Makki expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister, stating that this patronage sends a clear message of support for modernization and embodies the government’s commitment to the "Reinventing Government 2030" programme.

He also expressed his appreciation to the European Union, the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the United Nations Development Programme for their support in launching Lebanon’s first Behavioral Innovation and Digital Transformation Lab. 

He highlighted that the new phase of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy is grounded in the conviction that corruption is not merely a legal issue, but often a matter of institutional design, born from system complexity, ambiguous procedures, and high friction between citizens and the administration. "Reform does not only need more rules; it needs redesign, … and this Lab integrates behavioral science with public sector innovation", Makki stated.

The Lab operates through three transformative pillars:

1. Public service redesign with citizens: Employing behavioral insights and design thinking to analyze the "citizen journey," identifying complexities and reducing unnecessary touchpoints through digitalization.
2. Strategic thinking and co-creation: Providing a workspace for inter-ministerial collaboration to resolve overlapping jurisdictions and define target operating models for the 2030 vision.
3. Digital policy and behavioral impact platform: Testing behavioral interventions and measuring their impact accurately before scaling them nationwide.

Prime Minister’s Representative Statement

Vice Prime Minister Dr. Tarek Mitri stated that BIND-Leb embodies the ideal model for public administration: modern, digital, and participatory. He remarked that the Lab’s importance lies in its cultural symbolism, reflecting the innovative environments found in universities and startups. He announced his intention to use this space for inter-ministerial working sessions and genuine brainstorming to drive institutional transformation.

The event concluded with technical presentations by Digital Transformation Expert, Dimitri Stephanou, and Ms. Hend El Khatib, demonstrating the Lab's methodology in tracking public transactions and its alignment with the "Reinventing Government 2030" programme.