A National Unified Registry for Lebanon. A Tool of State Building?

This policy brief advocates for the creation of a National Unified Registry (NUR) for Lebanon that supports outreach, intake, and registration of beneficiaries and validates their eligibility for welfare programmes, as well as for emergency programmes. Comprehensive knowledge and data on the Lebanese population is particularly vital in times of crisis, where needs are greater, resources are scarcer, and the number of social protection service providers increases, often in a chaotic and uncoordinated manner. This brief investigates the challenges hindering the creation of such a unified registry and explores different reform options. It also clarifies various social protection paradigms that could impact the design and the establishment of this database.

*This policy brief has been produced by CeSSRA as part of its collaboration with UNICEF under a joint project entitled “Towards inclusive social policy and a welfare state in Lebanon”, to promote independent research and policy advocacy. UNICEF does not endorse the viewpoints, analysis, nor opinions expressed by the authors.