Minister of Interior, Brigadier General Marwan Charbel held a press conference at the MoI to announce the release of the Directorate of the Political and Refugees Affairs (DPRA) guide, entitled “The Palestinians and the Directorate of Political and Refugees Affairs” to clarify and simplify the administrative procedures related to the Palestinian refugees’ civil status documentation in Lebanon and contribute in supporting and improving the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon until they regain their homeland, Palestine. 

 

Attending were: the DPRA director general, Brigadier General Elias el Khoury; LPDC president ambassador Abdel Majid Kassir; Palestine ambassador to Lebanon, Ashraf Dabbour; UNRWA country director, Salvatore Lombardo; UNDP Director Seif Eddine Abbarro. 

 

Minister Charbel said that the joint press conference comes within the frame of the collaboration between the MoI, the embassy of Palestine in Lebanon, LPDC, UNDP and UNRWA. He expressed his contentment for the release of the DPRA guide to clarify and facilitate the administrative procedures related to the Palestinian refugees’ civil status documentation in Lebanon and contribute in supporting and improving the living conditions of Palestinian refugees according to the rights and obligations rationale.  

 

Charbel revealed that the MoI began a full archiving process of DPRA records and documents to avoid any damage or loss and to safeguard their content. He stressed that these documents will be preserved on microfilms; the practice adopted to preserve archives and minimize the volume of data and records that would be converted digitally when needed. This is the first step within a comprehensive computerization plan at the DPRA to safeguard information and data and facilitate administrative procedures. 

 

He called upon the donor countries to provide contributions for further achievement and to empower UNRWA and enable it to assume its mission, based on the common responsibility towards Palestinian refugees. 

 

He thanked LPDC for its initiative and UNRWA for its collaboration in making the guide available in all Palestinian camps and gatherings at UNRWA offices and centers; as he thanked UNDP for its support. 

 

During the subsequent Q&A session, Charbel stated his determination to alleviate, as much as possible, the burden, difficulties and hardship borne by the Palestinian refugee, provide him with a bare minimum of human dignity and assist him within the legal framework. 

 

It should be noted that the Lebanese government issued this guide with the support of the International Development and Research Council (IDRC), affiliated to the Canadian government, and the UNDP. It will be available at the DPRA as well as in all Palestinian camps and gatherings, via UNRWA offices.  

 

Ambassador Dabbour thanked the minister for the special attention dedicated to the Palestinian people in Lebanon by safeguarding their rights to have sound records and the development of the services provided by the DPRA at the MoI, which simplifies keeping and retrieving  administrative procedures in due time. He solicited the MoI to dedicate a similar attention to the Undocumented Palestinians. The Palestinian delegation offered the minister an icon by an artist from Bethlehem in Palestine.   

 

On his part, Ambassador Abdel Majid Kassir thanked minister Charbel for his concern and work on humanitarian affairs, noting that LPDC will always seek his support and attention in fulfilling its mission related to Palestinian affairs at DPRA.