Finished Projects
2013
For the Ministry of Planning and Administrative Development, Palestinian National Auhtority
Funded By the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
The project works towards drafting a development strategy for the West Bank’s area C. The strategy drafting process takes into account the various development plans articulated by the PA, socio-economic conditions of Palestinians living in area C, needs of the population within this territory, linkages with the rest of the West Bank as well as developments in aid patterns.
The Palestinian National Development Plan PNDP (2011-2013) and the PA report to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee in March 2012, provide a relevant framework for the formulation of a strategic development plan for the West Bank area C. The main four areas of intervention set out within the PNDP are (i) the promotion of good governance practices to achieve social cohesion, justice and equality; (ii) the provision of high quality education and health services (iii) enhancement of competitiveness and promotion of growth in the economy as well as (iv) investment in the physical infrastructure of the oPt.
At the same time, the PA’s objectives, as set out in the report to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee in March 2012 focus on (i) proactively tackle the growing phenomenon of inequitable socio-economic conditions and poor quality of life; (ii) sustaining and strengthening Palestinian governing institutions in order to maintain security, stability and good governance and extend their reach throughout the occupied Palestinian territory; (iii) taking concrete steps to foster the economic viability and fiscal self-reliance of an independent State of Palestine. In addition, focus will be on the implementation of Palestinian rights over natural resources and the utilization of these resources in all of the occupied Palestinian territory to the benefit of the Palestinian population; (iv) supporting the steadfastness of our communities threatened directly by Israel’s settlement regime, including the Separation Wall and other related settlement enterprise infrastructure.
The objectives and priorities outlined above suggest the need for a national strategy that combines measures to incorporate area C in the PA’s state-building efforts with more equitable and people centred strategies for economic growth, while strengthening the steadfastness of the population in these areas. As such, we propose to position the national strategy within the following possible parameters:
- To enhance the productive capacity of the Palestinian economy, with particular emphasis on Area C.
- To strengthen the capacity of the economy to grow based on our own resources to promote the creation of jobs and lessen dependence on the Israeli economy.
- To promote a more egalitarian socioeconomic distribution of resources and returns on growth in order to lessen inequality and enhance social cohesion.
- To strengthen Palestinian presence on the land and steadfastness in order to counter Israeli ethnic cleansing policies, particularly in the Jordan Valley, and southern West Bank.
- To incorporate the demand for political pressure as an integral part of the process of donor country support for the Palestinians.
- To involve the population in Area C in the formulation of policy making and national vision for these areas.
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