Lebanon Adopts Decree to Regulate Electronic Documents and Digital Signatures

The Ministries of Justice and State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Affairs announced in a statement, "the Council of Ministers' approval of the draft implementing decree to regulate electronic official documents and digital signatures, prepared by the Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the Ministry of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Affairs, as a fundamental step towards activating the legal framework for digital transformation in public administrations and enhancing the reliability of electronic transactions."

The statement indicated that "the new decree explicitly repeals Decrees No. 14115/2024 and No. 14555/2025, and adopts an interim executive framework that allows public administrations to begin applying its provisions without waiting for the completion of the national trust infrastructure, in accordance with technical standards adopted in the European eIDAS regulation, while ensuring the localization of essential elements of trust services on Lebanese territory."

It clarified that "the decree aims to put the provisions of Law No. 81/2018 into actual effect, by providing a clear framework for creating, signing, exchanging, and storing electronic official documents, thereby reducing reliance on paper transactions, limiting delays and costs, and alleviating the need for citizens to appear in person to complete their procedures. The decree also specifies conditions for verifying the validity, integrity, and source of electronic documents, and provides safeguards to protect citizens from identity theft, unauthorized signing, and tampering with official documents. It also contributes to unifying technical and procedural standards among public administrations, enabling secure and reliable electronic exchange of documents."

The statement explained that "the decree enhances accountability and transparency through the adoption of mechanisms for tracking transactions, verification logs, and electronic archiving that can be referred to in audit processes and dispute resolution. It also notes a gradual implementation that takes into account the readiness level of each administration, parallel to the development of the national infrastructure for trust services," stating: "In this context, the decree regulates coordination between the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Affairs, and the Ministry of State for Administrative Development Affairs, particularly regarding implementation, launching pilot projects, and staff training, ensuring the integration of efforts and unification of the approach adopted across various public administrations."

The Ministries of Justice and State for Technology affirmed that "the adoption of this decree is the fruit of institutional cooperation between ministries, and a practical step towards modernizing public administration and developing government services, through the adoption of secure and reliable digital solutions, enhancing the efficiency and transparency of procedures, placing citizens' needs at the heart of the digital transformation path in Lebanon."