The conference followed the development of Phase I of Beirut’s urban resilience master plan, bringing together 49 municipal and national representatives from thirteen countries and territories across the MENA region (Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tunisia, West Bank-Gaza and Yemen) as well as resilience experts and practitioners from developed and developing countries beyond the region (France, Georgia, India, Italy, Japan, Panama and the United States).
The conference responded to the need for regional co-operation and common frameworks for city resilience strategies, while allowing Beirut to share its own experiences and exchange lessons learned with other cities.