President Aoun looking for
people to object and say "NO!"

Encourages the consultative role of the

Economic, Social, and Environmental Council

President Joseph Aoun, speaking at the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council, reiterated his commitment to diplomacy and public welfare before an assembly of union heads, economic leaders, and civil society representatives. “People are tired of war,” he said, while acknowledging that diplomacy may not yield immediate results. He said that the State is working daily with international stakeholders—away from the public eye—to achieve meaningful outcomes.

President Aoun called on the Council not to relinquish its right to be consulted on economic, social, and environmental matters. “I am here to pledge my support,” he said. “I will protect your rights and your obligations, and I will draw strength from your wisdom and insight.”

Aoun affirmed the role of the Council as a platform born out of the Taif Agreement and one of the few avenues for institutional dialogue. He pledged to strengthen its independence and turn it into an effective advisory body and a strategic hub for sustainable policy making.

Quoting former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s reflections on political maturity, President Aoun warned against the dangers of overconfidence in leadership. “Leaders must learn to listen,” he said. “Leaders start by listening when they assume power, then they reach a point of overconfidence, where they think they know it all. It is only at the third stage that they reach the level of political maturity,” he said.

President Aoun said that leaders need many resources—and often, many people. But above all, they need people willing to say “no”. Not a harsh or hostile “no,” but a gentle, thoughtful one—something like, “Yes, but...” It should never come from malice, selfishness, vengeance, or nihilism. And it certainly should not be a “Step aside so I can take your place” kind of no. What a wise leader needs, at every turn, is a principled “no”—one grounded in knowledge, research, accumulated experience, intellectual integrity, and, above all, a genuine concern for the public good.

Council President Charles Arbid presented the Council’s evolving legal mandate, which now allows it to provide consultations at the request of not only the government but also the Presidency and Parliament. “This Council can now truly function as an economic and social parliament,” Arbid said.