Decree Commentaries

Beirut, the Confiscated City: 

From Privatizing the Waterfront to Expelling the Displaced

This commentary examines Decree No. 5665/1994, which transferred approximately 291,800 square meters of reclaimed public maritime land in central Beirut to Solidere as part of the post-war reconstruction process. It revisits the decree in light of the ongoing governmental debate over extending the company’s mandate and the eviction of displaced families from the BIEL waterfront, questioning its impacts on public property, Beirut’s waterfront, and the right to the city.

The Independent Municipal Fund: How does the state distribute its shares without any studies?

In the last month of 2024, Decree 14492 was approved to distribute the revenues of the Independent Municipal Fund for the year 2022, which distributes shares to municipalities, based on a number of …

Commodifying Public Property

The state continues to encroach on, neglect, or allow the private sector to control landed public property, this time through a decree of the Council of Ministers allowing Al-Hiba Real Estate Company to …

Public Safety Decree: No Guarantee for People’s Safety, and No End to the Deterioration of the Urban Environment

Decree No. 14293 relating to “Requirements for General Safety in Buildings, Facilities and Elevator Equipment, and Fire and Earthquake Prevention”.

It was amended by Decree No. 7964, which is currently in force and issued on April 7, 2012.