Joint Submission to the Human Rights Council at the 37th Session of the Universal Periodic Review. Lebanon Introduction 1. The Collective for Research & Training on Development- Action1, the Nationality Campaign ‘My Nationality is a Right for Me and my Family’, Ruwad alHoukouk Frontiers Rights (FR)2, SALAM for Democracy and Human rights (SALAM DHR)3, Equality Now, the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights (GCENR)4 and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI)5 make this joint submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), on the right to a nationality and human rights challenges pertaining to statelessness in Lebanon. 2. This submission focuses on: a. Gender discrimination in the nationality law of Lebanon that denies women the right to confer nationality on children and spouses on an equal basis with men; b. Other gender discrimination in law pertaining to the penal code, rape, and personal status code; The Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action (CRTD.A) is a non-governmental organization based in Beirut, Lebanon and started operation in 1999. CRTDA works in Lebanon and across the Arab countries and the MENA region in collaboration with partners in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia. CRTD.A seeks to contribute to citizenship, social justice and gender equality. CRTDA launched at its early inception the Nationality Campaign “My Nationality is A Right for Me and My Family” in 2000 as a regional campaign including countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, and Algeria. In Lebanon the Nationality campaign is still persistent in demanding change to the discriminatory nationality law through lobbying and advocacy, and capacity building and mobilization of concerned women and their families as well as the general public. CRTD.A is adamant in ensuring that regulations are amended to ensure that during this transition period, Lebanese women married to foreign nationals have facilitated documentation process and have access to public education and health services. The campaign in Lebanon has succeeded in contributing to placing gender inclusive reform nationality law reform in the national political discourse, as well as in the legislative process. 2 Ruwad alHoukouk FR is a Lebanese NGO established in 2014 by a group of human rights defenders active since 1999 in the defense of marginalized groups in Lebanon, particularly stateless persons, refugees, and migrants .Ruwad alHoukouk FR's mission is to promote legal protection of vulnerable population, and to advocate for law reforms and rule of law. Ruwad alHoukouk FR is a member of several international networks specialized in combating statelessness and protecting refugees. 3 SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights (SALAM DHR) is an NGO that endeavours to preserve universal principles of dignity and respect by shielding democracy and human rights. In the pursuit of this vision, SALAM DHR aims to influence British, European and UN representatives to improve the situation in the Middle East, and foster awareness of human rights and democracy. To accomplish these goals, SALAM DHR conducts monitoring and analysis, produces reports, develops recommendations on policy and legislation, organises advocacy campaigns, conducts trainings, and builds effective coalitions. SALAM DHR is actively involved in international cooperation for human rights and democracy, including the production of alternative reports on key human rights topics, coordinating coalitions, lobbying for reform of flawed institutions, and articulating NGO positions at the UN Human Rights Council, the European Parliament, and various domestic bodies. 4 The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights mobilizes international action to end gender-discrimination in nationality laws, through its coalition of national, regional and international organizations and activists, including steering committee members Equality Now, Equal Rights Trust, the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion, Women’s Learning Partnership and Women’s Refugee Commission. 5 The Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion is an independent non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting an integrated, human rights-based response to the injustice of statelessness and exclusion. Established in August 2014, it is the first and only global centre committed to promoting the human rights of stateless persons and ending statelessness. The Institute has made nearly 70 country specific UPR submissions on the human rights of stateless persons, and also compiled summaries of the key human rights challenges related to statelessness in all countries under review under the 23rd to the 36th UPR Sessions. 1 1