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Social IssuesAug 19, 2026
Civil Society and the Case of the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared in Lebanon
- Paul Achcar
Source: Committee of the Families of the Kidnapped and Disappeared in Lebanon (CFKDL)Fifty-one years since the outbreak of the 1975-90 war, Lebanon continues to grapple with unresolved legacies of conflict, including transitional justice, truth and reconciliation, and collective healing, particularly for the families of the missing and forcibly disappeared.
In the decades since the end of the war, the country has made some progress on this issue, such as the establishment of the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared. Yet, significant institutional, legal, and political challenges remain, compounded by limited public awareness, fragmented knowledge, and fading memories.
It is in this context that the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) is launching a series of papers addressing the issue of the missing and forcibly disappeared, focusing on themes related to “Dealing with the Past.” Through this endeavor, LCPS aims to inform policymakers, raise awareness, and advance practical solutions, with a particular emphasis on conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and social justice.
In this installment of the Dealing with the Past series, Paul Achcar examines the critical role of civil society in addressing Lebanon’s missing and forcibly disappeared persons. He traces the decades-long struggle of families and civil society actors that led to greater public awareness and the adoption of landmark legislation to address the issue.Paul Achcar has worked as a journalist in Lebanon and as a correspondent in Latin America for over 40 years. He contributed to numerous Lebanese and Arab newspapers, magazines, and radio stations, and served as Middle East correspondent for French, Portuguese, Brazilian, and Polish publications. He was a founding member of the ‘President is the Solution’ campaign (1988), the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (1994), and ‘It Is Our Right to Know’ initiative (1999). Achcar also served as general coordinator of the ‘Baladi, Baldati, Baladiyati’ (‘My Country, My Town, My Municipality’) campaign in 1997.