June 17, 2011 (Beirut) – The Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Lebanon, Mr. Robert Watkins, appointed two individuals today to serve as Live Lebanon Goodwill Ambassadors, with the aim of achieving closer engagement between the Live Lebanon initiative and the Lebanese expatriate community in Western Africa.
Mr. Mohammed Khachab, from Cote d’Ivoire, and Mr. Elias Saad, from Nigeria, will join a group of Lebanese business and civic leaders to promote support for social and local development projects in Lebanon.
Based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, Mr. Mohamed Khachab was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador for West Africa. Mr. Khachab is a prominent business leader in the seafood industry and has received numerous recognitions from the state of Cote d’Ivoire and business societies.
Mr. Watkins also appointed Mr. Elias Saad to serve as Goodwill Ambassador for Nigeria. Mr. Saad is broadly invested in various industrial and services sectors, and is a board member of the Lebanese-Nigerian Initiative among others. Mr. Saad will replace Mr. Hasib Moukarim who previously served as Goodwill Ambassador for Nigeria.
Lebanese expatriates have been settling in West Africa for several generations, dating back to the nineteenth century. They have made significant achievements and contributions to the business, social and cultural fields in West Africa and also in Lebanon.
Marking the appointments, Mr. Watkins underscored how “UNDP is proud to affiliate itself with the successful accomplishments of prominent Lebanese expatriates.” As a result, these new Goodwill Ambassadorial appointments bring the total to eight individuals, including, Mr. Fadi Salameh as institutional Goodwill Ambassador; Mr. Ghaleb Farha for the Arab Gulf Region; Ms. Bouran Bouery for Western Europe; Mr. Nasser Hakim for Latin America; Mr. Faddy Zouky for Australia; and Mr. Mustapha Abdouni for Brazil.
Established in November 2009 and administered directly by the UNDP in Lebanon, Live Lebanon operates as a neutral channel through which expatriate communities can provide direct support to the development of Lebanon’s underprivileged communities. Live Lebanon seeks to leverage the enormous contribution that those living abroad can provide to their home country. It does so by building a platform, www.livelebanon.org, through which Lebanese expatriates may serve as agents of positive change for underprivileged Lebanese communities, even while living abroad.