b'Supporting Stabilisationand Economic Developmentin the Middle EastWe are working with governments and communitiesIn Syria, Crown Agents is also contributing to post-conflictThrough our rehabilitation project to recover from economic and political instability andrecovery through the restoration of services in Deir-ez-Zor,in North East Syria, we have:conflict by supporting better delivery of public servicesin the North East. Through the North East Regions largest and enhanced accountability. Where it is required, we arecash-for-work scheme, we employed workers from the mostClearedalso involved in the provision of humanitarian assistance.vulnerable households to remove over 40,000m3 of debris90 SitesOur local presence and politically informed approach including explosive remnants of warfrom 90 public have enabled us to adapt our projects to respond to eachareas and buildings. This has hugely impacted the lives of countrys dynamic context throughout 2020. 311,000 local residents, including 37,000 school children, one of whom stated there is no longer a fatal fear for Stabilising local governments and publicstudents when they attend school. Four-fifths of the rubbleof debris, including 65 schoolsservices in Libya, Iraq and Syria from the debris clearance activities has been recycled to rebuild and rehabilitate damaged infrastructure. In Raqqa, Maintaining regional stability requires governance thatwhich is widely considered to be Syrias most destroyedCollectedis not only effective, but accountable, transparent and responsive to local needs. Through our UK FCDO-fundedcity of modern times, weve also restored street-lighting40,000m 3infrastructure, providing safer streets for 44,000 peopleprogramme, Tazeez, Crown Agents is supporting the Libyanwho use them daily.government to implement its decentralisation agenda and enhance the capacity of the sub-national government toLebanon: supporting stabilisationdeliver essential services to local citizens.through times of change of debrisequal to the same volumeThis year, we have worked collaboratively with municipalitiesThe Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) for the Governmentas five football fields full of waste trucksand ministry staff to conduct needs assessments and develop training plans that address identified gaps in theirof Lebanon is an EU-funded programme, implemented current capabilities. We have delivered training covering aby Crown Agents, to build effective public administration range of topics, from budgeting to gender sensitivity. We areinstitutions in Lebanon. We provide demand-driven training,Recycledalso working in three municipalities piloting the Integratedtechnical and legal assistance to public administration78%Municipal Development Plan, which aims to align ministrybodies to support crucial economic and structural reforms and municipal planning activity, and in doing so pave thethat are being called for in widespread protests across the way for country-wide fiscal decentralisation. By bringingcountry. TAF supervises 20 projects and provides capacity central and local authorities together to collaborativelybuilding for 93 ministries. In 2020, we rolled out a pricing identify priorities and plan in this way, Crown Agents ismodel to stabilise the price of flatbread at an affordableof debris collectedsupporting the government in Libya to better meet itsrate, guided the Internal Security Forces in setting up an citizens immediate needs while sowing the seeds of long- emergency response team to improve information security, term stability. and developed a three-year strategic plan for the Economic To the east, in Iraq, our project Tansiq has supported theand Social Council. We also supported the governmentThe Technical Assistance Facility security sector since 2015 to strengthen its response toto coordinate responses to the financial crisis, Covid-19 terrorism, with an overall focus on ensuring human rightspandemic and Beirut port explosion. (TAF) for the Government of Lebanon compliant counter-terrorism policy, procedures and operations. Despite operational challenges exacerbatedTurkey: providing core commodities has done something important by by Covid-19, youth protests and increased international tension, the programme has continued to successfullyDespite border restriction challenges, we support increating bodies that will enhance the providing for the needs of 11 million Syrians who depend support Iraqi institutions, with one senior Iraqi officialon receiving aid through the border crossings with Iraq describing Tansiq as the most successful internationaland Turkey each year. This includes offering warehousecontrol of the Parliament, as well as cooperation project [in Iraq] since 2003.services in Mersin to support multilateral clients and UN missions to the area. We also provide customs clearanceits ability to engage with citizens. and road transportation, delivering $1 million worth of aid commodities to the Bab Al-Salama and Bab Al-HawaMr Moussa Hobeika,borders. Administrative Adviser to the Parliament of Lebanon2322 23'