From Nazareth, the 12-day hike will take trekkers through the hills and small Palestinian villages at the eastern edge of the Jordan Valley. Modest overnight accommodation, bathrooms, and toilets have been readied in stops along the route. Ownership of these facilities is being vested in the respective villages to assure proper care and maintenance.

George Rishmawi, of the Alternative Tourism Group, has visited all 17 villages along the route. "It's a really beautiful hike," he says. Teams of weekend hikers have marked the trail - of course there is no access to military zones, so the trail skirts those areas, but the various ancient tracks are part of the trail and the locale know every stone in these valleys.

"In fact, between overnight stops local guides will join the two regular guides accompanying the hikers.

Indeed one reason the trail is important is the interaction it is going to create between people from all over the world and Palestinian villagers. These, unlike other areas of the countryside and cities, don't see many outsiders at all."

The Nativity Trail's capacity is likely to restrict groups to some 50-70 hikers and the cost is foreseen as being $600-$700 for the whole hike.

Vehicles will deliver food and other supplies to the overnight stops each day, and will provide a way for hikers with limited time to leave the hike at various points along the route.

The most important preparation for the Nativity Trail was establishing the facilities for overnight stays. Most of the stopping points have campsites, but at places like Zababdeh there is a centre with double rooms and even a telephone. Faqu'a also, says George, has a very old building converted to accommodation for the new Nativity Trail.

While an inaugural hike will be undertaken around the commencement of the 16-month Millennium 2000 period, George warned that winter rains will make some stretches of the trail impassable at times. "But by March the whole area will be green and beautiful again," says George. "Those who can should make their booking for the spring."

Ending the Year:
UNDP/PAPP Looks Back on Achievements During 1999

- In support of the peace process, work neared completion on physical improvements to the Karni and Rafah crossings in the Gaza Strip, while ground was broken for the construction of the South Wing of Gaza International Airport. Infrastructure improvements to Erez crossing started in the last month, focusing at this stage on the road, water, and sewage systems.

- The Government of Japan contributed $20 million to support the Palestinian people through UNDP/PAPP, including the following projects: Upgrading the road linking al-Ram and Ramallah ($6 million), Development of Storm Water Drainage System for Khan Unis Area ($7.9 million), Construction and Rehabilitation of Courts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip ($2.5 million), Construction of Municipal Facilities for Medium Sized Communities ($2.0 million), Construction of Beach Camp Market ($1 million), Development of Gaza Municipal Infrastructure ($1 million), Development of Rafah and Khan Yunis Social Infrastructure ($1 million), Support to the Textile Industry ($464,000), Support to Governance and Public Administration ($1.5 million), Construction of the Ramallah Cultural Complex ($2 million), Training, Equipment and Infrastructure Support for the Gaza International Airport ($4.5 million), Rehabilitation and Construction of Rafah and Karni Crossing Points ($2.5 million), Renovation and Rehabilitation of Erez Crossing Point Facilities and Infrastructure ($6.75 million), Rehabilitation of Rural Primary Health Care Clinics in the West Bank ($1.8 million), Upgrading the Water Supply System in the Rural Areas of the Hebron District ($1 million), Wells in the Jericho District ($1 million), Employment Generation in Agriculture ($2 million), Development of the Government Computer Centre ($1 million), and $1 million for road construction in Jericho.

With UNDP/PAPP help, centuries-old arched passageways that have fallen into disrepair and disuse have been restored as part of the Bethlehem Cultural Heritage Programme.

- UNDP/PAPP and GEF, the Global Environmental Facility, signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) for $0.5 million for the Conservation of Wetland and Coastal Ecosystems in the Mediterranean Region, a regional initiative aimed at ensuring sustainable management of biological diversity.

- With funding from the Government of Japan, UNDP/PAPP and the Palestinian Water Authority signed an MOU for US$ 1.0 million to drill three new wells in the Jericho area and to upgrade water systems in the northern Jordan Valley. The project will be completed by early 2000.

- With generous support from the Government of Japan, UNDP/PAPP signed an MOU for $1.0 million with the Government Computer Centre (MOPIC) to begin data connections between ministries in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

- The Palestinian soccer team, coached by United Nations White Helmet Volunteer Ricardo Carugati and Azmi Nassar, received the bronze medal in a regional competition in Jordan.

- UNDP/PAPP celebrated its 20th Anniversary, recalling the 1978 General Assembly resolution, which called on UNDP to 'improve the social and economic conditions of the Palestinian people'. Events were held in Jerusalem, Gaza, and the Visitor's Lobby in the UN Secretariat in New York. Featured speakers included Sir Marrack Goulding, the Palestinian Authority Minister of Health, Dr. Riyad Zanoun and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Mohammed Nashashibi.

- In conjunction with Birzeit University, UNDP/PAPP launched the Human Development Report for the Palestinian Territories, which profiles the socio-economic status of the Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and sets out a framework of recommendations for sustainable human development.

- The European Commission signed an agreement with UNDP/PAPP to provide 21 million Euros for the local Rural Development Programme, which aims to improve the living standard of people living in rural areas using participatory techniques to implement improved services and infrastructure, promote local economic development and employment generation, and build the technical capacity of local authorities. This was the single largest grant from the Commission to UNDP.

- Under the auspices of Chairman Yasser Arafat and with funding support from the Government of the Netherlands, UNDP/PAPP organised the Palestinian Conference on Agricultural Policy and Strategies, which was held in Hebron in October. The conference brought together donors, the Palestinian Authority, and NGOs to articulate strategies for agricultural development for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Participants included the Ministers of Agriculture of Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority.

- With generous assistance from the Government of Spain, UNDP/PAPP and the Ministry of Agriculture undertook a massive immunisation campaign in the West Bank to protect livestock from brucellosis. Ninety-six percent of the livestock in the West Bank have been vaccinated.

- With financial assistance from the Government of Denmark, UNDP/PAPP launched a project with the Palestinian Water Authority, which established a strategic planning team of water resource specialists and developed a water sector strategy and priority investment programme in the Palestinian Territories.

- With financial support from the Government of Japan, construction and rehabilitation at the Tulkarem Hospital was completed, vastly improving the scope and breadth of medical care available to Palestinians in the northern West Bank.

- A capacity building support project with the Ministry of Environment was put in full gear in 1999. Assistance from UNDP and the Government of Japan is helping with the institutionalisation of the Palestinian Environmental Action Plan, developing legislation and regulations necessary for environmental protection, raising public awareness on environmental issues and strengthening the technical and managerial capacity of Ministry staff.

- In support of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, implementation began on a project to increase understanding of the Convention and the reporting mechanisms for UN bodies.

The new marketplace in Bethlehem's historic core is already a vibrant focus of the city's everyday life.

The project will prepare a gap analysis report, which will assess the status of Palestinian in relation to the Convention.

- A MOU was signed with the Ministry of Finance to establish a database to prepare and monitor the development budget of the Palestinian Authority. UNDP also provided technical assistance to the Ministry to centralise information on debt obligations in the PA.

- The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) received support for a "Day of Democracy," a public event to raise awareness of democratic development and the role of the PLC in the West Bank and Gaza. A telecommunications system and generators were also provided through UNDP core resources.

- On-going assistance to the Ministry of Planning and International Co-operation and the Palestinian Development Plan helped broaden participation in governmental planning and extended the PDP to a five-year vision of development.

- UNDP/PAPP supported "Palestine at the Crossroads: Perspectives of Citizenship and Prospects of Identity," organised by the Arab Thought Forum and held at Birzeit University in June. The conference was convened as "contribution to the overall Palestinian effort towards promoting democratic society."

- By the close of 1999, 176 TOKTEN consultants provided technical assistance and training for Palestinian institutions since the programme's inception in 1995. (See articles on the contribution of TOKTEN consultants in the current and May 1999 issues of Focus.)

- With funds from UNDP's core resources, an MOU was signed with the Ministry of Justice to develop a legal journal to through which the legal community, students and the public at large would have access to court decisions, legal research and issues of concern to the administration of justice in the Palestinian Territories

- Based on the Platform of Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, a project was launched to advance the goal of equality between women and men in Palestinian society. The project focuses on housing, media, and public administration as three areas in which to advance the status and image of women.

- In conjunction with IMPACT, an International Initiative Against Avoidable Disablement, with funding from the Government of Malaysia and UNDP, a project was launched to establish capacity in planning, implementing and managing disability programmes in the Palestinian Territories. Specifically, the project will provide assistance to build capacity in disability prevention, the collection of baseline data on disabilities, early detection, nutrition, and governmental planning in the area of disability.

- As noted elsewhere, UNDP/PAPP's Bethlehem 2000 Projects were completed by the commencement of this celebration.

- Over the course of the year, UNDP/PAPP received generous contributions from the Governments of Belgium, Italy, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the European Union, the Arab Fund and the AGFUND totalling US$ 35.6 million.

(Column taken from December 1999 issue of UNDP Focus)