Is the international community failing Lebanon?

If acknowledging a problem is the first step to solving it, then the very existence of the International Support Group (ISG) for Lebanon is to be welcomed. Formed on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2013, the intergovernmental group met for the third time in Paris in early March to discuss the range of ongoing crises afflicting the country. And as in its previous get-togethers, in theory the conclusions of the ISG ticked all the right boxes. Lebanon is suffering from profound economic, security and humanitarian challenges, the actors declared. More support is necessary for refugee agencies and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), while the formation of a new government is “warmly welcomed” and the priority is to pave the way towards successful presidential elections in May. But despite the extremely high level nature of the meeting, few concrete outcomes emerged that would treat