Doha Agreement on the Results of the Lebanese National Dialogue Conference

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Country/entity: Lebanon
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Doha Agreement on the Results of the Lebanese National Dialogue Conference
Date: 21 May 2008
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Lebanon's Political Crisis (2005 – )
The current political crisis in Lebanon is characterized by the conflation of internal and external agendas, transforming Lebanon in a proxy battle ground between other countries in the region such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, while Syria-related security concerns continue to spill over into the country.
The assassination of Lebanon’s President Rafiq Hariri on the 14 February 2005, in which the Syrian government was implicated, sparked public outrage in Lebanon and fuelled protests that would eventually lead to the withdrawal of Syrian peacekeeping forces in Lebanon. This gave birth to the two oppositional groups March 14 Alliance and March 8 Alliance. Elections in May and June that year would usher in a new government, wherein March 8 Alliance, led by the Free Patriotic Movement, with support from Hezbollah, Amal and the Progressive Socialist Party would win 45 per cent of the seats. A year later, in July 2006, Hezbollah sparked a 34-day conflict with Israel following a rocket attack and the capture of three Israeli soldiers. Although both sides declared victory following the implementation of Resolution 1701, Hezbollah is widely considered to have been the relative victor. With its popularity boosted, and militarily emboldened, the parliamentary opposition announced the desire to form a unity government. Sceptical to the increased power that would grant the opposition, the Saudi-backed Lebanese government refused. In response the head of Hezbollah, Sayyed Nasrallah declared a deadlock in December 2006 to last until new parliamentary elections in 2009. Nasrallah also expressed an unwillingness to escalate the situation. Nonetheless, following a string of government crack-downs on Hezbollah, fighting broke out in May 2008 wherein Hezbollah militants took control of West Beirut. Fighting was eventually resolved with the Doha Declaration in 2008.
Uprisings against the Assad regime in Syria in 2011 further deepened the division between the two factions. In 2012, the two camps signed the Baabda Declaration, agreeing to the principle of neutrality towards Syria. However, in 2013 Hezbollah violated the agreement by giving the Syrian government military support. In 2016, Michel Aoun was appointed as president, breaking a two-year deadlock, and in May 2018 the first parliamentary elections were held in nine years. It took nine months to form the government, however, a renewed political deadlock ensued in November 2019 after the resignation of prime minister Hariri following unprecedented mass anti-government protests. Political turmoil continues to define Lebanon’s internal politics with earlier mass protests breaking out in 2009, 2011 and 2015.
Stage: Implementation/renegotiation
Conflict nature: Government
Peace process: Lebanon peace process
Parties: Hezbollah; Amal Movement; Syrian Social Nationalist Party; Lebanese Democrat Party; Progressive Socialist Party; Future Movement; Lebanese Government;
Third parties: Mediated by Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar
Description: Short document summarizing the agreed points from the Doha mediation, including the institution of a power-sharing government. The agreement successfully diffused the 18-month crisis that preceded it, which had begun as the opposition (including Hezbollah) held 45% of the seats in the parliament and wanted a power-sharing government.

Agreement document: LB_080521_Doha Agreement on the Results of the Lebanese National Dialogue.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: Groups→Religious groups→Rhetorical
Page 2. Fifth: Reasserting the commitment of the Lebanese political leaders to immediately abstain from resorting to the rhetoric of treason or political or sectarian instigation.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): Page 1-2, Fourth: Pursuant to the above mentioned Beirut Agreement, especially Paragraphs 4 and 5, which stated the following:
Paragraph 4: The parties commit to abstain from having recourse or resuming the use of weapons and violence in order to record political gains.
Paragraph 5: Initiate a dialogue on promoting the Lebanese state’s authority over all Lebanese territory and their relationship with the various groups on the Lebanese stage in order to ensure the state’s and the citizens’ security.
Hence, the dialogue was initiated in Doha on promoting the state’s authority according to Paragraph 5 of the Beirut Agreement, and an agreement was reached on the following:
- Prohibiting the use of weapons or violence or taking refuge in them in any dispute whatsoever and under any circumstances, in order to ensure respect for the national partnership contract, based on the Lebanese people’s commitment to live with one another within the framework of the Lebanese system, and to restrict the security and military authority over Lebanese nationals and residents to the state alone so as to ensure the continuity of the coexistence formula and civil peace among all the Lebanese; and the parties pledge to all of the above.
- Implementing the law and upholding the sovereignty of the state throughout Lebanon so as not to have regions that serve as safe havens for outlaws, out of respect for the supremacy of the law, and referring all those who commit crimes and contraventions to the Lebanese judiciary.

Page 1-2, ... This dialogue is to be resumed under the aegis of the president as soon as he is elected and a national unity government is formed, and with the participation of the Arab League in such a way as to boost confidence among the Lebanese.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: Page 1, Third: ... Agreeing on referring the reform clauses mentioned in the draft law prepared by the National Commission on Electoral Law Reform, which was headed by Minister Fouad Boutros, to the parliament in order to examine and discuss them in accordance with the rules in effect.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: Governance→Constitution→Constitution affirmation/renewal
Page 1, First: The parties have agreed on having the Lebanese parliament speaker, based on the rules in effect, invite the parliament to convene within 24 hours to elect consensus candidate General Michel Sleiman, knowing that this is the best constitutional method to elect the president under these exceptional circumstances.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: Power sharing→Political power sharing→Executive coalition
State level
Page 1, First: The parties have agreed on having the Lebanese parliament speaker, based on the rules in effect, invite the parliament to convene within 24 hours to elect consensus candidate General Michel Sleiman, knowing that this is the best constitutional method to elect the president under these exceptional circumstances.

Page 1, Second: forming a national unity government composed of 30 ministers distributed among the majority (16 ministers), the opposition (11 ministers) and the president (3 ministers), and by virtue of this agreement, all parties commit not to resign or obstruct the government’s actions.
Territorial power sharing: Power sharing→Territorial power sharing→Local/municipal government
Summary: Agreement implements changes to electoral districts, with power-sharing consequences.

Page 1, Third: adopting the caza as an electoral constituency in conformity with the 1960 law, whereby the cazas of Marjayoun-Hasbaya, Baalbek-Hermel and West Bekaa-Rachaya remain as a single electoral constituency each.

As for Beirut, it was divided in the following manner:
The first district: Achrafieh – Rmeil – Saifi
The second district: Bachoura – Medawar – the Port
The third district: Minet al-Hosn – Ain al-Mreisseh – Al-Mazraa – Mousseitbeh – Ras Beirut – Zoqaq al-Blat
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1-2, Fourth: Pursuant to the above mentioned Beirut Agreement, especially Paragraphs 4 and 5, which stated the following:
Paragraph 4: The parties commit to abstain from having recourse or resuming the use of weapons and violence in order to record political gains.
Paragraph 5: Initiate a dialogue on promoting the Lebanese state’s authority over all Lebanese territory and their relationship with the various groups on the Lebanese stage in order to ensure the state’s and the citizens’ security.
Hence, the dialogue was initiated in Doha on promoting the state’s authority according to Paragraph 5 of the Beirut Agreement, and an agreement was reached on the following:
- Prohibiting the use of weapons or violence or taking refuge in them in any dispute whatsoever and under any circumstances, in order to ensure respect for the national partnership contract, based on the Lebanese people’s commitment to live with one another within the framework of the Lebanese system, and to restrict the security and military authority over Lebanese nationals and residents to the state alone so as to ensure the continuity of the coexistence formula and civil peace among all the Lebanese; and the parties pledge to all of the above.
- Implementing the law and upholding the sovereignty of the state throughout Lebanon so as not to have regions that serve as safe havens for outlaws, out of respect for the supremacy of the law, and referring all those who commit crimes and contraventions to the Lebanese judiciary.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: UN Peacemaker; http://peacemaker.un.org/sites/peacemaker.un.org/files/Lebanon_DohaAgreement2008_Engl.pdf

Doha Agreement ‘On the Results of the Lebanese National Dialogue Conference’

21 May, 2008

The following agreement was reached:

First:

The parties have agreed on having the Lebanese parliament speaker, based on the rules in effect, invite the parliament to convene within 24 hours to elect consensus candidate General Michel Sleiman, knowing that this is the best constitutional method to elect the president under these exceptional circumstances.

Second:

forming a national unity government composed of 30 ministers distributed among the majority (16 ministers), the opposition (11 ministers) and the president (3 ministers), and by virtue of this agreement, all parties commit not to resign or obstruct the government’s actions.

Third:

adopting the caza as an electoral constituency in conformity with the 1960 law, whereby the cazas of Marjayoun-Hasbaya, Baalbek-Hermel and West Bekaa-Rachaya remain as a single electoral constituency each.

As for Beirut, it was divided in the following manner:

The first district:

Achrafieh – Rmeil – Saifi

The second district:

Bachoura – Medawar – the Port

The third district:

Minet al-Hosn – Ain al-Mreisseh – Al-Mazraa – Mousseitbeh – Ras Beirut – Zoqaq al-Blat

Agreeing on referring the reform clauses mentioned in the draft law prepared by the National Commission on Electoral Law Reform, which was headed by Minister Fouad Boutros, to the parliament in order to examine and discuss them in accordance with the rules in effect.

Fourth:

Pursuant to the above mentioned Beirut Agreement, especially Paragraphs 4 and 5, which stated the following:

Paragraph 4:

The parties commit to abstain from having recourse or resuming the use of weapons and violence in order to record political gains.

Paragraph 5:

Initiate a dialogue on promoting the Lebanese state’s authority over all Lebanese territory and their relationship with the various groups on the Lebanese stage in order to ensure the state’s and the citizens’ security.

Hence, the dialogue was initiated in Doha on promoting the state’s authority according to Paragraph 5 of the Beirut Agreement, and an agreement was reached on the following:

- Prohibiting the use of weapons or violence or taking refuge in them in any dispute whatsoever and under any circumstances, in order to ensure respect for the national partnership contract, based on the Lebanese people’s commitment to live with one another within the framework of the Lebanese system, and to restrict the security and military authority over Lebanese nationals and residents to the state alone so as to ensure the continuity of the coexistence formula and civil peace among all the Lebanese;

and the parties pledge to all of the above.

- Implementing the law and upholding the sovereignty of the state throughout Lebanon so as not to have regions that serve as safe havens for outlaws, out of respect for the supremacy of the law, and referring all those who commit crimes and contraventions to the Lebanese judiciary.

This dialogue is to be resumed under the aegis of the president as soon as he is elected and a national unity government is formed, and with the participation of the Arab League in such a way as to boost confidence among the Lebanese.

Fifth:

Reasserting the commitment of the Lebanese political leaders to immediately abstain from resorting to the rhetoric of treason or political or sectarian instigation.

The Arab Ministerial Committee undertakes to register this agreement before the Arab League General Secretariat as soon as it is signed.

This agreement was signed in Doha on May 21, 2008 by the Lebanese political leaders participating in the Conference and in the presence of the president and members of the Arab Ministerial Committee.”