A/HRC/5/9
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impacts ranked as high priority in the form of draft action plans. Furthermore, major gaps in
national environmental laws as unveiled by the war were identified and recommendations for
improvements were made. Finally, options for compensation for environmental damage due to
the war were compared and feasible options were discussed.
7. Restoring lives and livelihoods
15. In its submission, UNDP reports that it led the Early Recovery Cluster during the war, in
close cooperation with line ministries, civil society organizations, and the Office of the Prime
Minister, which led to the elaboration of a package of six quick-starting/high-impact projects
which were made ready for immediate implementation upon the cessation of hostilities. Within a
week of the cessation of hostilities, UNDP initiated implementation of this package of projects,
which included coordination support for the Government (establishing the RRC and DAD, as
well as support to the preparation of the Stockholm conference); rubble removal in
105 municipalities hardest hit by bombardments in the south (101) and the southern suburbs of
Beirut (4) (the number of municipalities now assisted has risen to 150); reactivation of
municipalities and municipal services; restoring fishermen’s livelihoods (repair of damaged
boats, recapitalization of assets and rebuilding the fish market of Ouzai, which was totally
destroyed); reactivation of public administration; and initial clean-up of the oil spill from surface
water. UNDP subsequently focused on sustained restoration of livelihoods in all areas affected
directly and indirectly by the war and across various sectors. While many of these activities seek
to generate employment and income-earning opportunities, attention is also being paid to
income-saving activities, such as through installation of solar-water heaters (proven to reduce
household expenditure on electricity by 30 per cent); supporting farming of medicinal plants on
public lands for farmers cut off from access because of UXO contamination; rebuilding markets
and strengthening access to these markets; recapitalization of microenterprises. UNDP undertook
two socio-economic assessments following the conflict based on sub-samples of the
2004 multi-purpose household survey and the SME survey, in cooperation with the International
Labour Organization (ILO).
16. The Office of the Resident Coordinator further indicates that the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO), which has carried out a post-war assessment on the
agro-industry sector, has formulated a joint initiative with ILO and the Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) focusing on employment generation. The focus is on
honey production. UNIDO has also hired a national technical assistant to supervise quality of
production and to investigate potential new crops (such as olive oil). Finally, UNIDO has also
formulated a project, “Support for livelihoods and economic recovery in war-affected areas of
Lebanon”, which it expects to be funded by the Lebanon Recovery Fund.
17. UNFPA has completed an “assessment of the impact of war on women and girls in
post-conflict areas with emphasis on protection and gender-based violence” and is currently
finalizing an “assessment of the impact of war on the elderly, disabled and female heads of
households”. As for recovery, UNFPA interventions in the south focus on: (a) follow-up to the
implementation of Security Council resolution 1308 (2000) and on HIV/AIDS prevention and
gender mainstreaming; (b) follow-up on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women,
peace and security, covering 11 southern villages (in the south, Baalbek and Dahia); and (c) a
project on the economic empowerment of women that aims at training women and supporting
existing cooperatives.
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