Beirut

On 1 June 2023, LAW facilitated a roundtable in Beirut, Lebanon, the Hub initiative. 34 practitioners, including representatives of civil society, academics and survivor groups, and representatives from the UN based across the Middle East and North Africa (including Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Libya) attended the discussion. Participants were resoundingly in favour of the initiative. There was recognition that, despite operating in a range of different contexts across the MENA region, many of the obstacles faced were the same and that collaboration and coordination were key to addressing these challenges. Participants underscored the need for a ‘safe space’ for practitioners regularly working for gender justice to come together, discuss common issues and to receive advice from experts and from each other.  Throughout the roundtable, participants emphasised that the Hub must bridge the global and the regional. Legal Action Worldwide’s Executive Director, Antonia Mulvey, who facilitated the roundtable said: “This was the perfect location to kick-off this discussion! The participants have set out a clear need for an initiative like the Hub to support those working on the front-lines and have provided a clear direction forward.”