Project Overview

The Anti-Corruption for Trust (ACT) project responds to corruption as a systemic governance challenge and a major impediment to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Recognizing that corruption is rooted in structural weaknesses, including limited institutional checks and balances, fragmented oversight mechanisms, and gaps in transparency, ACT supports a shift toward a more accountable and transparent governance system. Through strengthening Lebanon’s national anti-corruption framework and advancing the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), the project translates reform commitments into operational systems, digital tools, and institutional practices designed to rebuild public trust and reinforce integrity across state institutions. 

Project Objective

• Facilitate the development, monitoring and evaluation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) and its associated action plans.
• Strengthen the operational and technical capacities of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
• Provide technical assistance for the drafting, enactment, and implementation of key anti-corruption laws.
• Enhance the role of civil society, youth and the media in monitoring and advocating for anti-corruption reforms, raising awareness, and promoting integrity.
• Conduct sectoral corruption risk assessments and implement mitigation measures to prevent corruption in key vulnerable sectors. 

Achievements & Key Figures

• Since its inception, the project has supported the institutionalization of Lebanon’s National Anti-Corruption Framework by embedding structured monitoring, coordination, and enforcement mechanisms across government. Monitoring and evaluation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) was institutionalized through the development and publication of three national progress reports, marking the first time a Lebanese government reform strategy was systematically tracked and publicly reported. An independent evaluation was finalized to inform the 2026–2030 Strategy update. The project further strengthened the governance architecture established since 2011 by reinforcing the Ministerial Anti-Corruption Committee (MACCom) and its Technical Committee (TACCom) as inclusive coordination platforms, ensuring continuity among oversight bodies, the judiciary, and relevant ministries, and operationalizing thematic task teams (including gender, youth, and private sector integrity). More than 25 civil society organizations were engaged in monitoring, evaluation, and technical input processes, reinforcing participatory governance.
• Lebanon’s compliance with international commitments under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) was advanced through structured technical and coordination support for the completion of the second review cycle. This included 151 national working sessions, targeted training for government institutions and civil society, and a formal consultation process incorporating 249 civil society inputs into the governmental self-assessment report. The project facilitated the peer review mission of Mali and Cambodia, ensured structured post-visit follow-up, and supported the finalization of the country report and publication of its executive summary on 3 October 2025.
• To move from law to practice, the project supported the operationalization of key anti-corruption legislation through tools, systems, and enforcement mechanisms. Under the Assets and Interests Declarations and the Punishment of Illicit Enrichment Law, support included the development of SOPs, practical guides for declarants and the judiciary, and specialized trainings for NACC, investigative judges, and prosecutors. Approximately 40,000 declarations were received and archived, while work is underway to establish an integrated electronic system for submission, storage, and verification. This track also includes a verification manual, updated guidance addressing crypto currencies, and proposed amendments to declaration form.
• Under the Right of Access to Information (ATI) Law, practical guides and manuals were developed, and over 120 public officials were trained, alongside a nationwide awareness campaign across TV and digital platforms. Institutional strengthening measures included standardized templates, support to annual reporting, institutional website development, and SOPs enabling the NACC to process more than 60 ATI complaints within legal deadlines. The First Annual Report on the level of ATI implementation was produced, and an ATI Dashboard is under development to institutionalize evidence-based oversight.
• Implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Law was advanced through the establishment of an inter-institutional committee in 2025 and the development of SOPs for the NACC’s Directorate for the Protection of Whistleblowers, outlining procedures for reporting, risk assessment, and protection measures. Coordination frameworks with competent protection authorities are being formalized. Under the Petroleum Transparency Law, a technical guide clarifying the NACC’s oversight mandate and a dedicated implementation workplan were developed.
• The project enabled the operationalization and strengthening of Lebanon’s first National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) by reinforcing its institutional, legal, digital, and strategic capacities. Annual reports have been produced since 2022. A comprehensive capacity assessment informed the design and implementation of a multi-year institutional strengthening plan. Cooperation engagements were facilitated nationally, regionally, and internationally, including multi-stakeholder workshops and the signature of Memoranda of Understanding with universities and regional Anti-Corruption agencies. Operational strengthening included development of internal SOPs, case management tools, and infrastructure upgrades, from investigation rooms and public reception areas to ICT systems and renewable energy installations, enhancing confidentiality, service delivery, and institutional resilience. Digital transformation efforts are advancing integrated complaint and case management systems, electronic asset declaration systems, and ATI monitoring platforms. The NACC’s communication strategy and visual identity were developed, leading to the launch of its official website on 9 December 2023 and ongoing update and expansion in both Arabic and English.
• Preventive integrity was embedded across key sectors through the implementation of the Sectoral Corruption Risk Management (SCRM) methodology in four priority institutions: the Lebanese University, the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the Ministry of Industry, and the Beirut Execution Court. Approximately 65 public officials were engaged in risk assessments covering procurement, licensing, financial management, judicial case management, consumer protection, and related processes. Tailored mitigation plans led to reforms including digitalization of services, business process re-engineering, e-portal development, updated SOPs, regulatory refinements, capacity-building programmes, and ICT upgrades. SCRM evolved from a diagnostic tool into a systemic institutional reform mechanism and is being expanded in collaboration with the Central Inspection.
• Civil society was positioned as a structured reform partner through sustained engagement in UNCAC processes, NACS monitoring, and legislative oversight. Partnerships included support to the Gherbal Initiative in monitoring compliance with the Assets and Interests Declarations Law, producing explanatory guides, and implementing awareness campaigns; and collaboration with Transparency International Lebanon – No Corruption (TI-LB) to strengthen municipal-level ATI implementation and citizen engagement.
• Youth were embedded as active contributors to anti-corruption governance through the establishment of a National Youth Task Team under TACCom and the development of a Youth Action Plan. A structured volunteering programme deployed 42 young professionals within NACC and OMSAR to support operational functions, declaration receipt and archiving, ATI complaint management, ICT systems, communications, and the evaluation and updating of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, strengthening both institutional capacity and civic engagement.
• Finally, the project produced foundational anti-corruption knowledge products. Lebanon’s Anti-Corruption Code, the first comprehensive reference of its kind in the region, consolidated national legislation, jurisprudence, and official guidance in alignment with UNCAC. A suite of implementation guides was developed covering ATI, Whistleblower Protection, Assets and Interests Declarations, Illicit Enrichment, and Transparency in Petroleum Sector, alongside specialized training manuals. Public awareness was further expanded through the 9-episode web series “Knowledge for Accountability,” promoting informed debate on Lebanon’s legal framework and reform progress. 

GESI Component (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion)

The project is designated with a GEN2 gender marker. It recognizes that corruption often disproportionately affects women and marginalized groups by hindering their access to essential services and economic opportunities. Specific interventions include:

• Integrating a gender perspective into national anti-corruption policies and monitoring mechanisms.
• Promoting women’s leadership roles within anti-corruption bodies and oversight institutions.
• Ensuring that whistleblower protection mechanisms are accessible and safe for women and other marginalized groups to report grievances.