Salam: Reform Requires Human Development and Implementation of the Taif Accord

Address at the Opening of the Beirut Arab and International Book Fair

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed his government’s commitment to comprehensive reform grounded in sustainable human development, underscoring that “the general policy statement of our government — a government of reform and national salvation — places paramount importance on the development of educational and cultural infrastructure.”

He stressed that the reform agenda goes beyond economic recovery and institutional restructuring: “Our program is not confined to economic measures, infrastructure projects, or political mechanisms. It aspires to lay the foundations for lasting human development.”

Salam emphasized that the cornerstone of this vision is the full implementation of the Taif Accord, which led to the amendment of Lebanon’s Constitution: “This is the very framework that the late President Fouad Chehab referred to as ‘the Book’ — a national charter for governance and state-building.”

The Prime Minister made these remarks during the opening ceremony of the 66th edition of the Beirut Arab and International Book Fair, held on Tuesday at the Seaside Arena in Beirut. Organized by the Arab Cultural Club, the fair remains one of the most significant annual cultural events in the Arab world.