Prior to the establishment of the Economic and Social Council, the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) worked on reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure. In 1995 the CDR said that the state would launch schemes worth $3.5 billion to rebuild its war-ravaged infrastructure.[fn]”Lebanon to launch reconstruction projects worth 3.5 billion dollars,” Agence France Presse, January 16, 1995.[/efn_note] The efforts to rebuild infrastructure were supported by Arab countries.

The laws establishing the the Economic and Social Council were not introduced in the assembly.

The laws establishing the the Economic and Social Council were not introduced in the assembly.

The laws establishing the the Economic and Social Council were not introduced in the assembly.

The laws establishing the the Economic and Social Council were not introduced in the assembly.

The 1990 constitutional amendments, which were a part of the Taif Accord, created the Economic and Social Council as an agent of continuous dialogue about public socio-economic policies. However, the laws establishing the council itself were not introduced in the assembly.

Information on creation of a socioeconomic council for development is not available.

Instead of promoting media freedom, the press law of 1996 further restricted the media and force journalists to impose self-censorship.

In 1996, government passed a new media law to restrict radio and television broadcasting.¹

No developments observed this year.