Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati chaired a meeting this morning at the Grand Serail to discuss educational affairs, attended by Minister of Education and Higher Education Abbas Halabi, Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil, acting Governor of the Central Bank Wassim Mansouri, Director-General of the Ministry of Finance George Mraoui, and former Minister and Miqati's advisor Niqula Nahas.
Halabi stated after the meeting, "At our request, President Miqati called for a meeting where we discussed the disbursement of the 5,000 billion Lebanese lira advance that the Cabinet had previously approved, which will be paid in three installments from now until the end of the year." He added, "The Minister of Finance promised to withdraw the first 1,500 billion next week, and we also discussed the disbursement process, the currency of disbursement, and its direction."
Miqati also received Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, and Layla Bakar, Regional Director of the Fund for Arab States, who announced after the meeting, "We were discussing the Fund's assistance to Lebanon, and President Miqati highlighted several issues, including health and reproductive health for all, regardless of whether they are Lebanese or guests, and we promised to work with all Lebanese institutions to address these issues."
Miqati welcomed a delegation from the Sovereign Order of Malta, led by Alessandro De Franceschi, Minister of International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action of the organization, alongside Chargé d'Affaires François Abi Saad, Marwan Sahnaoui, and Miqati's advisor Ambassador Boutros Asaker.
He also met with the Mufti of Tripoli, Sheikh Muhammad Imam, and the Mufti of Akkar, Sheikh Zaid Bakar.
**"Your Opportunity" Platform**
The Prime Minister attended the launch ceremony of the "Your Opportunity" platform, implemented in collaboration with UNICEF and the World Bank, aimed at enhancing youth employment in the 21st-century digital economy, funded by the Dutch embassy. The ceremony was attended by Ministers Halabi, George Kallas (Youth and Sports), Ziad Makari (Media), Mustafa Berham (Labor), UN Resident Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs Imran Reza, Secretary-General of the Cabinet Judge Mahmoud Makiyeh, World Bank Representative Jean-Christophe Karye, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon Edouard Beigbeder, Dutch Ambassador to Lebanon Hans Peter van der Woord, and Social Development Coordinator at the Prime Minister's Office Mirvat Nahas.
Miqati considered, "This project is essential as it contributes to enhancing job opportunities and improving the economy and development, giving promising youth a greater chance of obtaining good and sustainable jobs." He added, "We reiterate that the main challenge lies in stopping the brain drain that is depleting our youth and restoring trust firstly in the homeland and its capabilities, and then addressing the factors of collapse that have significantly halted the economic cycle in the country. I am proud of all the youth of Lebanon, and I see in their eyes the hope for a better tomorrow for our people and our nation. I also urge them not to despair despite the painful reality, and not to consider emigration as the solution. I encourage them to maintain their faith in Lebanon and to overcome the risks and difficult reality to build a Lebanon worthy of our youth and to take pride in."
World Bank representative Christophe Karye pointed out that "the youth in Lebanon today face a fundamental issue in securing jobs and opportunities, as a 2022 labor force study showed that the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 24 is about 47 percent, indicating the need to empower young people in the digital world to find jobs, and digital technology offers hope for these young people."
UNICEF representative Beigbeder highlighted that "this platform has come to assist youth at a critical time, providing educational resources and training courses to enhance necessary skills alongside guidance and education to implement everything needed to obtain good job opportunities."
The Dutch Ambassador expressed happiness at "the launch of this platform associated with providing job opportunities for youth and access to quality education and training, equipping them with the required skills to secure decent work."
