A/HRC/31/18/Add.1 contemporary world. Nonetheless, they are being perpetrated by people living in the twenty-first century who know precisely how to make use of the most advanced communications technology and how to cater to international media voyeurism. Abductions, killings, mass expulsions and displacements occur on a daily basis in the countries with which Lebanon shares its borders. Many atrocities are perpetrated in the name of God. Extremist and apocalyptic interpretation s of religious messages can indeed become a factor in the escalation of violence, although when observed more closely, it is clear that most of the root causes of conflicts in the Middle East are mainly political. They include endemic corruption; lack of good governance; loss of trust in the fair functioning of public institutions (including the judiciary); the breakdown of meaningful intergroup communications; failures within the educational system; historical reasons; widespread impoverishment of the population; proxy conflicts carried out on the territories of institutionally weak countries; the occupation and settlement of populations on occupied lands; and a prevailing macho culture. 76. The dramatic developments unfolding in the Syrian Arab Republic, Iraq, Yemen and other countries within the region have a direct and far -reaching impact on Lebanon. Many people with whom the Special Rapporteur discussed these issues emphasized that the survival of the State was at stake, as were its unique legacy of religious pluralism and the culture of living together across religious and denominational boundaries. B. Refugees 77. The most salient impact that the current regional conflict has on Lebanon is the mass influx of refugees from the Syrian Arab Republic. Approximately 1.17 million Syrians, after fleeing the atrocities of the civil war, have been registered by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as refugees in a small country, which is already hosting hundreds of thousands of Palestine and Iraqi refugees and which welcomed numerous Armenians and other Christians from the Ottoman Empire, as well as Kurds, in the early twentieth century. Lebanon has nonetheless not ratified the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and its policies regarding refugees lack transparency, coherence and a legal framework. 78. During the relevant discussions held by the Special Rapporteur, political concerns that the majority of Sunnis among the Syrian refugees might erode the confessional balance in Lebanon were tangible. The patterns of settlement of refugees throughout Lebanon (in the absence of approved large camps) have revealed a preference by refugees, especially those from small communities, for settling with coreligionists, if only to benefit from their solidarity and to have access to places of worship. In January 2015, the Government stopped accepting new refugees into the country, although the borders are not entirely closed and members of some communities may still be admitted. In May 2015, UNHCR was instructed to suspend registration of Syrian refugees pending the introduction of a new procedure with the Government. Palestine refugees from the Syrian Arab Republic have been unable to enter Lebanon since May 2014. A certain degree of concern that demographic changes might undermine the confessional balance were tangible, and the Government seems intent on discouraging any further influx of refugees. 79. The vast majority of Syrian refugees, although registered through UNHCR, do not have a residence permit in Lebanon. Approximately three quarters of Syrian refugee children have difficulties in the realization of their right to education despite 19