A National Unified Registry in Lebanon: A Social Protection Pillar And A Tool For State-Building

Date: July 29, 2025 from 4:00 to 5:00 PM (Beirut time)

Lebanon’s fragmented social protection system has repeatedly failed to adequately support vulnerable populations during crises, most recently from the 2020 Beirut blast to the devastating 2024 war. 

The lack of integrated, comprehensive, and accurate data is often cited as one of the factors impeding the establishment of a sound inclusive universal social protection system in the country. Filling this data gap requires a solid, integrated, and unified database of citizens and their needs, including a protected infrastructure of data systems, appropriate database management, interoperability frameworks, secure networking, functioning software, clear institutional arrangements, and reformed legal frameworks.

This webinar highlights the urgent need for a National Unified Registry (NUR), a centralised and secure database to improve outreach, eligibility verification, and coordination of all social programmes and schemes. 

Drawing on key findings from CeSSRA’s research (report, policy brief, and infographic), the webinar aims to discuss, on the one hand, how outdated, siloed systems have hindered effective crisis response. On the other, the session will also unpack the broader social justice implications of a unified system that ensures no one is left behind, and ultimately how a universal social protection system can support state-building. 

Speakers: 

• Nizar Hariri (Economist & Labour Market Analyst)

• Iskandar Al Boustany (Economist)

• Khalil Dagher (Social Protection Specialist, Social Policy Section, UNICEF)

The webinar will be moderated by Sobhieh Najjar (CeSSRA’s Communication Advisor).

Date: Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Time: 4:00 to 5:00 PM (Beirut time)
Platform: Zoom. Kindly register and submit your questions to panelists via this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vi196bq0STy33SpKD1R9Xg