Lebanon's Minister of Labour Mohamad Haidar, International Labour Organization (ILO) Regional Director for the Arab States Ruba Jaradat, and the Director General of Lebanon's National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Mohamad Karaki concluded a coordination meeting to discuss updates on the implementation of the country's new pension scheme in accordance with Law No. 319.
This landmark law, passed by the Parliament in December 2023, establishes a comprehensive pension system for private sector workers and fundamentally reshapes the governance of the NSSF.
The meeting focused on the technical role the ILO is playing to support the government and social partners in achieving the successful implementation of this reform.
Leadership and tripartite collaboration
During the meeting, Minister Haidar emphasized the critical urgency of transitioning to a modern pension scheme that guarantees social security adequacy and coverage during old age, in full alignment with international social security standards. He stressed the vital importance of concerted effort by all stakeholders and highlighted the efficient, pivotal role being played by the National Supervisory Committee. Crucially, this serves as a key tripartite platform for representatives of the government, NSSF, employers, and workers, in overseeing the successful implementation of the scheme with continuous ILO technical support.
A partnership rooted in national ownership
Regional Director Jaradat renewed the ILO's commitment to supporting the Ministry, the NSSF, and social partners in the implementation phase of the reform. This follows extensive technical support the ILO provided during the legislative phase.
She said the ILO's support reflects a commitment to strengthening public institutions and social dialogue, as well as to supporting the leadership and ownership of Lebanese authorities in designing and implementing social security reforms in line with international social security standards.
As outlined in an Information Note Jaradat presented to the Minister and the NSSF Director General, the ILO's technical support spans across six key areas: actuarial and financial analyses, legal advisory support, social dialogue support, NSSF digital transformation, institutional capacity building, and public communication.
Strengthening institutional capacity and service delivery
NSSF Director General Karaki reaffirmed the Fund's commitment to the rapid implementation of the new pension scheme as a cornerstone of the Fund's broader recovery efforts. He emphasized that this reform is essential for restoring the full range of benefits provided by the Fund and ensuring adequate social protection benefits for its members. Director General Karaki also highlighted the ongoing efforts toward the NSSF's digital transformation, designed to enhance service delivery, increase transparency, and improve the overall performance and administration of the Fund.
At the conclusion of the meeting, it was agreed that the Information Note will serve as a living document, updated regularly to reflect ongoing developments and progress on the file. This document will be circulated to government, workers' and employers' organizations, parliament, and other stakeholders as an official communication tool to ensure shared understanding and to announce the initiatives and efforts conducted by the ILO in support of Lebanon's social security reforms.
For more details on these interventions and the strategic roadmap, please refer to the full Information Note attached to this statement.
