Partnership between NGOs and governmental bodies, a powerful measure to prevent corruption.April 17th 2013, LOST Hermel

On April 17th 2013, the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) organized a lecture entitled “Corruption in Lebanon” at its branch in Hermel in the presence of NGO representatives, the media, and some social figures. The main lecturer, Dr. Said Issa from the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA), offered a comprehensive definition of corruption as the “misuse of authority for personal and private benefit. It occurs when an incumbent of a public post or a person with authority exploits decisions or information for the advantages of his own tribe, group, or relatives.” He then attributed corruption to the current political context showing its major facets namely money laundry and trafficking. Capitalizing on the Lebanese government’s ratification of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), Issa proposed a strengthened partnership between civil society organizations and governmental bodies as a powerful practical measure to prevent corruption.