A Proposed Initiative
An Annual Elite-Level Platform for Strategic Dialogue
on the Levant & the Eastern Mediterranean
Proposed to be held in Tripoli, Lebanon, under the official patronage of the Lebanese Republic, at the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Rachid Karami International Fair designed by Oscar Niemeyer.
The Initiative
The Levant and the Eastern Mediterranean are undergoing a period of profound transformation. Overlapping challenges — post-conflict reconstruction, energy security, protracted displacement crises, fragile local governance, and the need for economic reintegration — demand coordinated responses that transcend national borders.
Yet the region lacks a dedicated, high-level strategic dialogue platform that originates from within the Levant itself. The Tripoli Dialogue Forum (TDF) is proposed to fill this gap: a Track 1.5 / Track 2 Diplomacy initiative — a non-negotiating space that enables candid, policy-oriented discussion among senior officials, diplomats, and independent experts.
Strategic Position
Tripoli sits at the intersection of the Arab Levant, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Europe — a natural convergence point for regional dialogue.
Comparative Context
The TDF draws on an established tradition of regional forums that have proven their effectiveness in advancing strategic dialogue:
Turkey — Since 2021. Annual multilateral diplomacy platform under presidential patronage. 6,400+ guests from 150 countries in 2026.
Germany — Since 1963. The world's leading forum on international security. 450+ senior decision-makers including 40+ heads of state.
Qatar — Since 2003. High-level annual policy dialogue under the Amir's patronage. 6,500 participants from 170 countries.
Italy — Since 2015. Co-organised by the Italian MFA and ISPI. Focuses on the broader Mediterranean's security and socio-economic challenges.
Despite the existence of these prominent platforms, a notable gap remains: there is no annual, high-level forum that originates from within the Levant itself and combines strategic dialogue, official state patronage, and the activation of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Strategic Rationale
Despite its crises, Lebanon retains a unique position at the crossroads of the Arab world, Europe, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Its pluralistic character equips it to play a non-confrontational convening role. Official patronage by the Lebanese Republic signals that Lebanon aspires not merely to absorb the reverberations of regional crises, but to contribute actively to discussing their solutions.
Situated on the Eastern Mediterranean coast at a historic point of contact between Lebanon, Syria, and Europe, Tripoli has served throughout its history as a gateway between the Mediterranean and the Levant. The very name Tripolis — the "triple city" — evokes the idea of convergence between multiple entities, lending it a powerful symbolism as a city of dialogue.
Holding the Forum in Tripoli rather than Beirut carries a clear national message: Lebanon is broader than its capital. The diplomatic and cultural functions of the state need not remain confined to the traditional centre. Tripoli's demographic weight and economic potential make it fully capable of hosting a high-level regional event.
Tripoli has experienced the repercussions of regional crises — most notably the Syrian crisis — at first hand. This direct exposure has made the city a living point of contact with the very questions of stability, displacement, reconstruction, and local governance that the Forum seeks to address.
The Venue
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer — UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Fair is one of the most significant modernist architectural landmarks in Lebanon and the region. Designed in 1962 on a 70-hectare site between the historic centre of Tripoli and the port of El-Mina, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023 and simultaneously placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Hosting the Forum here is not merely logistical — it is integral to the project's message. The venue transforms the budget from the cost of a single event into a dual investment: launching a regional dialogue platform and contributing to the reactivation of a globally significant heritage facility.
Inaugural Edition
Challenges of reconstruction and recovery in fragile environments; the roles of international institutions, the private sector, local authorities, and host communities.
Energy security, natural gas, renewable energy, regional interconnection, and the political and legal tensions surrounding Eastern Mediterranean resources.
The economic, social, and humanitarian burdens of displacement; the need for regional frameworks that go beyond immediate national responses.
The role of municipalities in crisis management, service delivery, and trust-building in environments characterised by central state weakness.
Rebuilding economic ties among Levantine states; the role of ports, infrastructure, and special economic zones in connecting the Mediterranean to the Arab interior.
Forum Design
The Team
The Tripoli Dialogue Forum is being developed by a group of professionals with experience in policy, diplomacy, research, and institutional development across the Levant and Europe.
Brief description of background, expertise, and role in the initiative. Two to three lines maximum.
Brief description of background, expertise, and role in the initiative. Two to three lines maximum.
Brief description of background, expertise, and role in the initiative. Two to three lines maximum.
Institutional Framework
The proposed governance model rests on a clear balance: Lebanese official ownership and patronage, complemented by technical, financial, and intellectual support from international and non-governmental partners.
Under the official patronage of the Lebanese Republic, through the official body to be designated in due course — whether the Presidency, the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or a joint formula. Principal invitations issued in the name of the state.
The City of Tripoli, the Municipality of Tripoli, the administration of the Rachid Karami International Fair, and relevant official bodies responsible for the site, heritage, and cultural affairs.
The European Union, UNDP, friendly states, Arab and international research centres, universities, donor institutions, private sector partners, and specialised media organisations.
For Partners & Donors
Contribute to a new dialogue platform originating from within the Levant — a region that currently lacks one.
Support a model that uniquely combines soft diplomacy, heritage activation, and regional stabilisation in a single initiative.
Achieve impact beyond the Forum's duration through the rehabilitation of heritage spaces at a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Generate policy briefs and recommendations on reconstruction, energy, displacement, and governance — actionable, not academic.
Enhance your organisation's presence within an initiative of clear national and regional significance, endorsed at the state level.
Support Lebanon's aspiration to reclaim its historic role as a space for dialogue and exchange, not merely a crisis arena.
Join the Initiative
We are building a coalition of official partners, institutional supporters, and strategic allies to bring this Forum to life. Whether you represent a government, an international organisation, a research institution, or a donor entity — your contribution can help launch a platform the region urgently needs.
منتدى حوار طرابلس — مشروع إقليمي يجد في طرابلس مكانه الطبيعي