Project Overview

The project addresses the limited access to basic security and justice services for both Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities. In a context of deepening economic crisis and growing social tensions, the initiative moves away from purely law-enforcement models toward "Community Policing" and "People-Centered Justice." By strengthening the capacity of state institutions and supporting local-level dispute resolution, the project aims to restore trust in the state and mitigate the risk of human rights violations and communal violence. 

Project Objective

• Institutionalize the "Community Policing" model within the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and Municipal Police.
• Improve the availability of legal aid and judicial services for marginalized groups, including the poor, women, and refugees.
• Enhance the capacities of the Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary to manage cases efficiently and transparently.
• Promote a culture of human rights and accountability within security and justice institutions.
• Reduce the resort to informal or extra-judicial security measures by strengthening formal state-citizen relationships. 

Achievements & Key Figures

• A total of 32,987 individuals including 20,650 females received free legal aid services across UNDP supported legal aid helpdesks ongoing.
• A total of 837 inmates including 174 women received free legal assistance at the UNDP supported legal aid helpdesks in Roumieh and Baabda prisons. 
• A total of 444 individuals including 53 women received free legal assistance during preliminary investigations (article 47) by the Beirut and Tripoli Bar Associations ongoing.
• Rehabilitation of Batroun and Aley ISF stations to strengthen rights-based and community-oriented policing, improving detention conditions, particularly for women and vulnerable groups—and the overall capacity of police services at the local level. 
• Four ISF stations in Beirut have been fully equipped in line with Article 47 guarantees and connected to the ISF Directorate via fiber optic installations.
• Supported 398 municipalities in adhering to at least one component of the municipal police reform framework March 2024.
• 59 municipal police agents representing 24 municipalities attending human rights-based training at the ISF academy September 2024.
• Supported the NHRC’s preparatory steps toward GANHRI accreditation by assisting with the drafting of annual reports and conducting detention-center visits, contributing to the release of 40 detainees. In parallel, UNDP supported the operationalization of the NHRC through securing dedicated premises and supporting staff recruitment. 
• Enabled the generation of USD 137,540 in cumulative cost savings and a 194.1 tCO₂ decline in emissions at the Beirut Justice Palace through the installation of a solar PV system. 
• Support to judicial independence reform through 12 Justice Forum sessions, high-level institutional engagement, and sustained advocacy that directly informed the drafting and adoption of the Law Organizing the Judiciary No. 36/2026.
• Supported the production of a comprehensive legal aid study, including a cost–benefit analysis, to inform and advocate for a national state-owned legal aid system as a cornerstone of improved access to justice and broader justice and social protection reforms in Lebanon. 

GESI Component (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion)

The project is designated as GEN2, focusing heavily on the protection of women and marginalized groups. It includes specific protocols for the Municipal Police and ISF on handling Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and child protection cases. The project actively works to increase the recruitment and visibility of women within municipal police forces and ensures that legal aid services are specifically tailored to reach female victims of discrimination and domestic violence.