A/54/134-E/1999/85
Distr.:General
17 July 1999
Original: English
General
Assembly
Fifty-fourth
session
Item
20 (e) of the preliminary list*
Strengthening
of the coordination of
humanitarian
and disaster relief assistance of
the
United Nations, including special economic
assistance:
assistance to the
Palestinian
people
Economic
and Social Council
Substantive
session of 1999
Geneva,
5–30 July 1999
Item
9 of the provisional agenda**
** E/1999/100 and Add.1.
Implementation
of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by
the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United
Nations
Assistance to the
Palestinian people
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. On 7 December 1998,
the General Assembly adopted resolution 53/89 on assistance to the Palestinian people, in
which it, inter alia, stressed the importance of the work done by the United
Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories and of the steps taken under the
auspices of the Secretary-General to ensure the achievement of a coordinated mechanism for
United Nations activities throughout the occupied territories; urged Member States,
international financial institutions of the United Nations system, intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations and regional and interregional organizations to extend, as
rapidly and as generously as possible, economic and social assistance to the Palestinian
people in close cooperation with the Palestine Liberation Organization and through
official Palestinian institutions; called upon relevant organizations and agencies of the
United Nations system to intensify their assistance in response to the urgent needs of the
Palestinian people in accordance with the Palestinian priorities set forth by the
Palestinian Authority, with emphasis on national execution and capacity-building; called
upon the international donor community to expedite the delivery of pledged assistance to
the Palestinian people to meet their urgent needs; suggested the convening in 1999 of a
United Nations-sponsored seminar on the Palestinian economy; and requested that the
Secretary-General submit a report to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session,
through the Economic and Social Council, on the implementation of the resolution,
containing: (a) an assessment of the assistance actually received by the Palestinian
people; and (b) an assessment of the needs still unmet and specific proposals for
responding effectively to them.
2. In his previous report
on assistance to the Palestinian people (A/53/153–E/1998/75), the Secretary-General
provided an overview of the period from June 1997 until May 1998. The present report
covers the period from June 1998 through May 1999. In addition, in response to Economic
and Social Council resolution 1998/32, paragraph 8 in which, inter alia, the
Council called upon the Secretary- General to “continue to include, in the report of
the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories, an update on the
living conditions of the Palestinian people, in collaboration with relevant United Nations
agencies”, chapter IV below on living conditions in the occupied Palestinian
territory has been included.
3. Throughout the period
under review, the Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories, Chinmaya R. Gharekhan,
maintained his efforts to fulfil the mandates of his office, and focused on continuing
preoccupations relating to facilitating the socio-economic development of the occupied
Palestinian territory, including:
(a) Ensuring better coordination
between the relevant institutions of the Palestinian Authority and United Nations agencies
as well as the donor community;
(b) Strengthening the rule of
law and other institution-building programmes, through better-targeted technical
assistance, including to the Palestinian Police Forces, in order that greater progress
could be made towards achieving sustainable development;
(c) Monitoring and documenting
economic and social conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory and providing
periodic analyses on these aspects and special reports on specific issues relevant to the
development effort, such as the prospects for growth in the private sector and the
constraints thereon;
(d) Providing logistic and other
assistance to the Palestinian Authority pertaining to the preparation of the Palestinian
Development Plan, 1999–2003;
(e) Encouraging expeditious
donor disbursements to facilitate the implementation of the Palestinian Development Plan,
1999–2003.
II. Background
4. Since its inception in
1994, the Office of the Special Coordinator, has been among those parties that have been
instrumental in establishing the donor coordination mechanisms described below, which have
brought together the Palestinian Authority, the United Nations, the World Bank and the
donor community. The unique position of the United Nations within these coordination
mechanisms has enabled the Organization to play an influential role in the development
process in the territories. The United Nations presence in the occupied Palestinian
territory has increased from three organizations in 1993 to 13 in 1999. An additional 16
organizations of the United Nations system are providing the Palestinian Authority with
technical assistance and expertise.
5. On 30 November 1998,
the Conference to Support Middle East Peace and Development, held in Washington, D.C.,
provided a forum for the international community, including the United Nations, to
reaffirm political commitment to the Middle East peace process and to continue the
economic assistance required to give it momentum. Conference participants announced
pledges totalling $3.36 billion to be disbursed over a two- to five-year period.
III. Work of local and international coordination mechanisms
6. At the suggestion of
the United Nations representative, the main donor-led body overseeing the assistance
effort, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee decided in November 1994, to devolve certain aspects
of the donor coordination process to the level of representatives in the occupied
Palestinian territory. For that purpose, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee established a Local
Aid Coordination Committee, to be composed of the Palestinian Authority and all donors to
the occupied Palestinian territory, including Israel. The co-chairs of the Local Aid
Coordination Committee are Norway, in its capacity as Chair of the Ad Hoc Liaison
Committee, the Office of the Special Coordinator and the World Bank. The latter two also
act as a joint secretariat to the Local Aid Coordination Committee. Meetings of the Local
Aid Coordination Committee provide a forum for donors to report on their activities and
for the Palestinian Authority to provide updates on relevant issues.
7. In December 1994, the
Local Aid Coordination Committee had established 12 sectoral subcommittees, known as
sector working groups, to focus donor assistance to the Palestinian people and to
facilitate communication and coordination between the Palestinian Authority and donor
countries. Each sector working group is composed of the gavel-holder, normally a
Palestinian ministry; the shepherd, a donor interested in that particular sector; and the
United Nations or the World Bank as secretariat. As part of the effort to increase the
efficiency of the sector working groups, a series of evaluative workshops took place in
1997 and 1998 with a view to creating a more focused coordination structure that would
correspond better to the planning process evolving within the Palestinian Authority, which
was closely involved with this exercise. The outcome of this process has been the
establishment of four main sector working groups devoted to infrastructure, the productive
sector, the social sector and institution-building, which correspond to the core sectors
of the Palestinian Development Plan. There are currently 14 sub-groups subsumed under
these four groups. The changes that brought the current structure into being were approved
by the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee in February 1999.
8. In April 1995, the Ad
Hoc Liaison Committee established the Joint Liaison Committee, which provides a forum in
which economic policy and practical matters related to donor assistance are discussed with
the Palestinian Authority. The Joint Liaison Committee comprises the Palestinian Authority
as gavel-holder; Norway, in its capacity as Chair of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, as
Shepherd; the United Nations and the World Bank as joint Secretariat; the United States of
America and the European Union. Japan was also invited to take part in the meetings. The
Joint Liaison Committee discusses bilateral issues relating to donor assistance with the
participation of representatives of the Government of Israel, who are invited to attend
all meetings. The Joint Liaison Committee first met on 15 May 1995 and meets approximately
five times per year.
9. As part of his efforts
to improve United Nations coordination and to facilitate the process of creating
complementarity between United Nations activities and the needs and priorities identified
by the Palestinian Authority, the Special Coordinator convened the fifth United Nations
inter-agency meeting in Gaza, on 7 and 8 October 1998. Representatives of approximately 20
agencies met with their counterparts in the Palestinian Authority and assessed the role
and contribution of United Nations agencies to the Palestinian development effort and, in
particular, the future direction of this cooperation in the context of the Palestinian
Development Plan. During the discussions, the positive features and the challenges
encountered were analysed, and issues of relevance to future cooperation were identified.
As in previous years, the meeting provided a forum for finalizing the document entitled
“The United Nations and the Palestinian Development Plan”, which surveys some
salient features of this relationship.
10. The Special Coordinator also led
the United Nations delegation, comprising representatives of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The
International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to the sixth meeting of the Consultative Group for the
West Bank and Gaza, convened by the World Bank in Paris on 4 and 5 February 1999. The
Consultative Group meeting was also the occasion for the Palestinian Authority to present
its second rolling plan, extended to cover a five-year period, the Palestinian Development
Plan, 1999–2003, to the international donor community. The Palestinian Development
Plan represents the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to developing national
capacity in medium-term development planning and in the implementation of development
projects. The Palestinian Development Plan presented included over 170 projects with which
the United Nations is associated that have a total value of about $286 million. Both in
numerical and value terms, this was an enhancement over the previous Palestinian
Development Plan, underscoring the deepening commitment of the United Nations system to
the socio-economic development of the occupied Palestinian territory.
IV. Living conditions in the occupied Palestinian
territory
11. The Palestinian Ministry of
Finance and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have estimated real gross domestic
product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP) growth rates of 3.0 and 5.5 per cent
respectively for 1998. Such growth would be sufficient for a marginal rise in annual per
capita income levels in the occupied Palestinian territory for the first time since the
beginning of the interim period in 1994. Improved macroeconomic conditions in 1998 were
due to fewer comprehensive closures imposed on the occupied Palestinian territory. Such
closures affected 5.2 per cent of working days in 1998, compared with 20.5 per cent of
such days in 1997. This resulted in a 16.9 per cent increase in the number of Palestinian
workers employed in Israel in 1998 and generally improved trade flows, as the nominal
value of registered trade between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory rose by
9.3 per cent.
12. There was moderate growth in
private investment. Construction licensing activity grew by 4.6 per cent in 1998, a slower
pace than in 1997, when licensing grew by over 13 per cent. Overall, new company
registrations climbed by 12.6 per cent, with declines in the West Bank offset by increases
in Gaza.
13. The value of approved investment
projects under the Law for the Encouragement of Investment declined by 18.1 per cent to
$161 million in 1998, with declines in the West Bank offset by gains in Gaza. In nominal
terms, bank credit extended to private business grew by 9.3 per cent to $467.3 million.
This represents a sharp deceleration in the growth of bank credit, which had risen by more
than 40 per cent in 1997. While there was modest progress in 1998, private investment
remains constrained by the general system of closures imposed on the occupied Palestinian
territory.
14. While donor disbursements declined
by 27.4 per cent in 1998 to a reported level of $399.8 million, total public investment
spending rose by an estimated 11 per cent to $215 million. Public investment absorbed a
higher share of total disbursements in 1998, in part because the Palestinian Authority
achieved a balanced recurrent budget for the first time.
15. Despite a small decline in the
labour force participation rate, the labour force increased by an estimated 5.9 per cent
to about 585,000 persons in 1998 and the number of fully employed persons increased by
18.9 per cent to 456,240. The standard unemployment rate fell from 20.9 per cent in 1997
to 15.6 per cent in 1998, the lowest rate recorded since 1995. In absolute terms, the
number of unemployed persons decreased by about 21.5 per cent to about 91,000 persons.
Average core unemployment rates in 1998 were 12.3 per cent in the West Bank and 23.5 per
cent in the Gaza Strip. Broader measures of unemployment, which include discouraged
workers, averaged 25.1 per cent in 1998, compared with 30.3 per cent in 1997. The broader
unemployment rates in 1998 were 23.2 and 31.4 per cent in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
respectively.
16. There were an estimated 58,450 new
jobs for Palestinian workers in 1998, a 13.4 per cent increase over 1997, with employment
growth in every economic branch. Of these, 56 per cent were located in Israeli-controlled
areas and 44 per cent of total employment growth located in the occupied Palestinian
territory. The private sector accounted for 64 per cent of the total number of new jobs in
1998 located in the occupied Palestinian territory, as compared with 51.2 per cent in
1997.
17. Despite generally rising
employment opportunities, women’s labour force participation fell to 11.7 per cent of
working-age women, as compared with 12.3 per cent in 1997. While their participation rate
declined, working women experienced higher full-employment and lower underemployment rates
in 1998, suggesting a tendency for women to leave the formal labour market if full-time
work is unavailable. This may be due to both structural and cultural constraints on
women’s employment. Reflecting the general trend, the women’s unemployment rate
declined to 16.9 per cent in 1998, while remaining above that for men, which fell to 15.5
per cent. This reversed the trend witnessed in 1996, when numerous and severe border
closures drove men’s unemployment rates to historically high levels.
18. In 1998, the average employed
Palestinian worked 1.3 per cent more days per month relative to 1997. More job
opportunities and fewer closure days led to an increase in real daily and monthly wages.
The average real daily wage rate for a fully employed worker increased by about 8.5 per
cent to 59.5 new shekels (NIS) (approximately $15.6), while the monthly wage increased by
about 10.1 per cent to NIS 1,347 (approximately $353.5).
19. Despite the relative economic
recovery, there was a persistent decline in average real household expenditures.
Expenditures for the average Palestinian household fell from a monthly average of NIS
2,634 in 1997 to NIS 2,579 in 1998 (approximately $677) — a decline of 2.1 per cent
in inflation-adjusted terms. Evidence suggests that the decline in household expenditures
may be due to the repayment of loans (which are excluded from the expenditure surveys) and
greater savings. This indicates that households were paying back accumulated debt and
curtailing expenditures, perhaps as a result of uncertainty about the future.
20. Consumer prices in 1998, after
several years of deceleration, reversed course in 1998. Under the impact of the sharp
depreciation of the new shekel/United States dollar exchange rate in autumn 1998, the rate
of inflation in the consumer price index (CPI) in the occupied Palestinian territory rose
to 9.7 per cent for the year, as compared with 6.1 per cent in 1997. Food prices increased
by about five percentage points faster than the general price level, placing an added
burden on household budgets. Food purchases accounted for 40.1 per cent of total
expenditures in 1998 as compared with 38.7 per cent in 1997.
V. Assistance
to the Palestinian people: ongoing programmes, unmet needs and proposals for additional
assistance
21. After consultations with the
programmes and agencies of the United Nations system active in the area (a list of which
appears in the annex to the present report), the Special Coordinator prepared the
following update on assistance received by the Palestinian people in the occupied
territories from United Nations agencies and programmes during the reporting period from
June 1997 to May 1998, together with an analysis of needs still unmet and specific
proposals for responding effectively to them.
Department of Economic and
Social Affairs
22. The Department of Economic and
Social Affairs has been involved in the provision of assistance to the occupied
Palestinian territory since 1995, when five project documents were formulated in the area
of public finance and business development. One of the projects, on strengthening audit
capabilities, has been carried out, while the remaining ones await funding.
Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia
23. The Economic and Social Commission
for Western Asia (ESCWA) has focused its activities on supporting and monitoring the
economic and social sectors in the occupied Palestinian territory. ESCWA provides the
Economic and Social Council with an annual report on the economic and social repercussions
of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people and the Arab
population of the occupied Syrian Golan. This report covers a variety of issues affecting
living conditions, such as the frequency of border closures, increases in housing projects
in Israeli settlements, road construction, industrial expansion and the distribution of
water resources among the Israeli and Palestinian populations.
24. In the area of housing and urban
development, ESCWA participated in a review of urban upgrading activities undertaken by
the Welfare Association in January 1999. Proposals focused on economic revitalization
programmes, including prospects for youth employment and entrepreneurship. In the area of
institution- and capacity- building, ESCWA is implementing a project on development of
gender national statistics programmes in the Arab countries, in which the occupied
Palestinian territory is one of nine participants. The project will include the
establishment of a comprehensive gender statistics database at the Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics and a gender unit. ESCWA is also providing the Ministry of Social
Affairs with assistance in reviewing progress towards the implementation of
recommendations from the Fourth World Conference on Women. Moreover, ESCWA has been
monitoring developments in the agricultural sector through two recent studies,
“Evaluation of agricultural policies in the Palestinian territories” and a
proposal for a general “Framework for an agriculture development policy in the
Palestinian territories”, to address the rehabilitation of agricultural cooperatives
and the design of a development strategy in the agriculture sector.
International Atomic Energy
Agency
25. At its thirty-eighth General
Conference, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided to identify potential
technical assistance projects that could be implemented in the occupied Palestinian
territory through appropriate international organizations. Pursuant to this decision, the
IAEA Board of Governors approved two projects which are being implemented through the
International Centre for Theoretical Physics, in Trieste, Italy. In addition, the Agency
has received two project proposals for support during the 1999–2000 technical
cooperation programme. The “Radiation protection infrastructure” project aims to
provide support for the formulation of a policy and legal framework and the establishment
of a radiation protection and safety infrastructure under the jurisdiction of the
Palestinian Authority. The project on the “Area-wide application of the sterile
insect technique for medfly control” was formulated at the request of the Ministry of
Agriculture. Medfly control is a region-wide problem and the new project will be carried
out in conjunction with two ongoing projects under way in Jordan and Israel. To establish
a coordination mechanism, representatives from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian
Authority met at IAEA headquarters in Vienna in October 1998, resulting in a joint
communiqué in which the parties expressed their intention to cooperate in the
implementation of Agency-supported activities related to the sterile insect technique in
the region. In addition, a third proposal on human resources development was initiated as
an extension of current activities. IAEA also provided various Palestinian professionals
with training, fellowships and financial assistance to attend international meetings and
efforts are under way to identify further projects in the occupied Palestinian territory.
International Civil Aviation
Organization
26. The International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) has initiated several missions to Gaza and has formulated three
project proposals for technical assistance to the Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority,
which are still awaiting funding.
International Fund for
Agricultural Development
27. The International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) is currently supporting 16 micro-projects in the occupied
Palestinian territory under its Relief and Development Programme. The aim of the Relief
and Development Programme is to promote and support small-scale farmers and fishermen
through credit; to establish centres to support micro-enterprises for women and the
landless; to rehabilitate small-scale irrigation schemes and equipment; to provide
extension services to promote the cultivation of new high market-value crops; and to
extend loans to fishermen. Until 1998, the Palestinian Authority was not eligible for
loans under the Fund’s lending criteria but IFAD contributed to the Relief and
Development Programme through the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and
Reconstruction and other partners, under a provision that enables IFAD to allocate grants
to research institutions and non-governmental organizations. As of August 1998, loans in
excess of $3.5 million have benefited numerous farming, fishing and women’s
enterprises; a women’s business service centre was established in the Gaza Strip to
encourage and train women entrepreneurs; the 50-year old Ein El Sultan open-canal
irrigation system was upgraded and a water users’ association was set up to assume
responsibility for the scheme; and extension services have led to the diversification of
the crop mix. At its twenty-first session, in February 1998, the Governing Council of IFAD
adopted a resolution by which loans are now being extended to the Palestinian Authority.
The Participatory Natural Resource Management Programme, approved by the Executive Board
of IFAD in April 1998, will benefit some 3,600 smallholder families in the West Bank over
five years to plan and implement natural resource development schemes for land and water,
and provide the rural credit required for income-generating enterprises. IFAD will also
ensure that women-headed households are targeted by the programme as a matter of first
priority.
International Labour
Organization
28. Since 1994, the International
Labour Organization (ILO) has been developing a technical assistance programme for the
occupied Palestinian territory, its largest programme in the Arab region. During the
period under review, ILO implemented the following projects: the establishment of a
vocational rehabilitation centre; a programme for the rehabilitation and reintegration of
ex-detainees; the training of contractors; an integrated small enterprise promotion at the
Palestinian Chamber of Commerce; the Palestinian Employment Programme; and the
establishment of a model production workshop to manufacture wheelchairs. With its own
financial resources, ILO also carried out a programme to strengthen the Ministry of Labour
and fielded a project formulation mission on employment generation in the tourism sector
and technical advisory missions on the labour code. These programmes covered employment
promotion, small enterprise development, vocational rehabilitation, labour administration,
social security and women workers. ILO assistance contributed to improvements in expertise
and skills through staff training, institution-building through the provision of equipment
and to the establishment of appropriate strategies and action programmes. Assistance in
the above areas needs to be further enhanced, and activities need to be launched in the
fields of occupational safety and health, vocational training and social security. ILO has
formulated a number of project proposals for the second phase of ongoing projects in
addition to new projects in the fields of occupational safety and health, hotel and
tourism, social security and women. In addition, a mission will be fielded shortly to
assess the achievements of the ILO technical cooperation programme to date, and to
identify needs for future assistance.
International Maritime
Organization
29. An International Maritime
Organization (IMO) needs assessment mission visited Gaza in December 1997 to identify
specific areas in which the Palestinian Authority could benefit from IMO technical
assistance. Two projects were formulated for the establishment of maritime administration
and the development of human resources for this sector. IMO has begun to implement those
components of the projects which it can finance from its own budget and is seeking donors
to finance the balance.
International Trade Centre
30. In May 1996, the International
Trade Centre (ITC) began implementing a technical cooperation project for the export of
high-value, fresh-cut flowers from the occupied Palestinian territory. ITC has assisted
Palestinian growers and exporters in on-farm production and cold-storage techniques;
post-harvest handling and quality control; export market development and marketing; trade
information services; and the production of the first catalogue of Palestinian fresh-cut
flowers. An evaluation in 1998 concluded that the project had achieved significant
commercial and political success, endorsed by international acceptance of Palestinian
export documentation. In addition, the principle of direct marketing by Palestinian
growers, a prime object of the project, was achieved, the situation of Palestinian
exporters was strengthened with regard to Israeli agricultural export and marketing
organizations and problems related to delays, inspections and damage to products and
packaging at border posts were reduced significantly.
31. In late 1998, ITC also invited the
Palestinian Trade Centre to prepare a supply survey on processed foods and agricultural
products in the occupied Palestinian territory, for the Pan-Arab Buyers-Sellers Meeting in
Abu Dhabi in February 1999, at which Palestinian companies concluded a number of
agreements with their Arab counterparts. The Palestinian Trade Centre was invited in early
1999 to prepare a demand survey on metal and related products for a similar meeting in
Cairo in May 1999. Based on the two surveys and on the previous work of ITC, various
priority areas for technical cooperation have been identified and, as a follow-up, ITC has
been invited by the Ministry of Economy and Trade to assess the needs and potential of the
Palestinian business community, to be followed by the formulation of a technical
cooperation project.
International
Telecommunication Union
32. During the reporting period, the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conducted a number of missions in the occupied
Palestinian territory, for the implementation of assistance in telecommunications
development. A senior expert in telecommunications was seconded to the Ministry of Post
and Telecommunications and a mission provided advice on setting up a mission control
department in the Ministry. In addition, fellowships were granted to Palestinian
professionals to participate in training courses, regional workshops and ITU international
activities, and assistance was also extended to the Palestinian News Agency.
United Nations Centre for
Human Settlements
33. The United Nations Centre for
Human Settlements (Habitat) has recently prepared two proposals, “Preparatory
assistance project for environmental planning and management support to Gaza city”
and “Low-cost housing specifications and guidelines” which await funding. In
addition, Habitat, in conjunction with Bir Zeit University, has carried out a case study
focusing on the issue of gender in urban management and development. A meeting was held in
Cairo in January 1999 to compare the lessons learned from the Palestinian and Egyptian
case studies and to devise a strategy for gender mainstreaming in the region. In addition,
Habitat’s Housing and Urban Development Corporation will organize a consultation on
poverty reduction in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority towards the end of 1999.
Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights
34. The Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), through its office in Gaza, concentrates on
three interrelated components: the establishment of a legal framework; the development of
an official policy on human rights; and the strengthening of national institutions.
35. To help establish a legal
framework, UNHCHR has provided the Ministry of Justice, the Palestinian Legislative
Council and the Palestinian Bar Association, with advisory services as well as training
for Bar members on human rights and organizational development. UNHCHR has also provided
technical and financial assistance to women’s rights organizations, the Palestinian
Independent Commission for Citizens’ Rights, Bir Zeit University Institute of Law and
the Palestinian Association for Legal Sciences to conduct legal research and workshops.
UNHCHR technical advice and grants have been directed to building capacity for legal
research and drafting skills, and UNHCHR will continue to assist the Palestinian Authority
in the unification of West Bank and Gaza laws, focusing on the human rights dimension of
legislation. To assist in the development of an official policy on human rights, UNHCHR
has held consultations with the Palestinian Authority and non-governmental organizations
on the forthcoming Palestinian national plan of action for human rights and has developed
a working paper on the appropriate methodologies, working groups and terms of reference
for consultants.
36. Institutional strengthening is the
largest component of UNHCHR’s programme with the Palestinian Authority, and UNHCHR
has provided courses, documentation and materials for Palestinian Police Force commanders,
officers and trainers as well as for non-governmental organizations. Within the
Palestinian Police Force, UNHCHR has established a cadre of qualified human rights and law
enforcement peer trainers and intends to work further with such trainers, through advanced
training fellowships and technical assistance, to develop an institutionalized code of
conduct and standing orders consistent with international human rights standards.
United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development
37. Following the endorsement of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) “Programme of technical
cooperation activities in support of Palestinian Trade, finance and related
services”, the Palestinian Authority requested UNCTAD to extend technical assistance
in specific priority areas. UNCTAD has since fielded some 20 advisory missions and
prepared summary project proposals, all of which have been endorsed by the relevant
ministries. There has been increasing emphasis on operational activities to provide
concrete assistance with a view to strengthening the Palestinian private sector. Recent
activities have included a feasibility study for an industrial estate in Nablus; promoting
cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and Jordan; training programmes in
international commercial diplomacy; strengthening trade efficiency; and guidelines for
human resource development in trade (TRAINFORTRADE) and for sustained development of the
Palestinian economy. UNCTAD has also completed two studies on issues that confront the
Palestinian economy entitled “Palestinian merchandise trade in the 1990:
opportunities and challenges” and “The Palestinian economy and prospects for
regional cooperation”.
38. Specific needs have been
identified in a range of areas, which UNCTAD has already begun, to or intends to address,
and a number of specific project proposals have been prepared. These include: regional and
multilateral trade policy; trade-related services and facilitation; international
commodity trading; customs administration and trade-related data; multi-modal transport
and port operations; public debt management; domestic insurance sector reform; investment
promotion framework; and enterprise and technology development. Further consolidation of
UNCTAD’s capacities will be sought in cooperation with other agencies, to enhance
synergies, avoid duplication and coordinate related activities, and to assist in
integrating the occupied Palestinian territory into the regional and global economy.
United Nations International
Drug Control Programme
39. The United Nations International
Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) focuses on a multisectoral approach to coordinating and
integrating drug control policies into the broader developmental policies of the occupied
Palestinian territory. To enhance the drug enforcement and interdiction capacity of
existing Palestinian drug law enforcement agencies, UNDCP has supplied the Palestinian
Anti-Narcotics Administration with a computer network, a forensic laboratory and training
for personnel in anti-narcotics operations. This has resulted in an improvement in
performance and increased cooperation between the Palestinian and Egyptian anti-narcotics
administrations. UNDCP, in cooperation with the UNSCO Legal Adviser, has also assisted the
Palestinian Authority to establish a legal and institutional framework for drug control
and to consider modalities for implementing the provisions of the United Nations drug
control Conventions. UNDCP is also assisting with capacity-building for personnel from the
Ministries of Health and Social Affairs to provide counselling, treatment and
rehabilitation services. An international demand reduction consultant conducted an
assessment for such services in December 1998, and training workshops were scheduled for
health and social workers in Gaza in May 1999. To provide additional technical resources
to the ANA and improve cross border cooperation with neighbouring countries, a UNDCP
subregional technical cooperation programme has been proposed and the first technical
meeting between Jordan, Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Authority was held in Amman, in
February 1999. In addition, to assist the Ministry of Health in ensuring more effective
control over the distribution of licit drugs, UNDCP will assess the inspection
capabilities and training needs of the Ministry to develop an effective inspection and
control system.
United Nations Development
Programme
40. During the reporting period, the
UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) expanded its support in
the area of infrastructure. In 1998, UNDP project expenditures exceeded $37 million. Youth
centres and women’s activity centres in the West Bank are being rehabilitated and a
cultural centre constructed, projects which utilize labour-intensive methods to help
alleviate unemployment. Other ongoing infrastructure projects include the rehabilitation
and construction of schools, a hospital, water systems and roads. UNDP received an
emergency contribution from the Government of Japan to support projects intended to
facilitate the implementation of the Wye River Memorandum. The projects will rehabilitate
and construct crossing facilities to support the movement of persons and commercial goods
in and out of the Gaza Strip. Technical assistance, training and infrastructure support is
also being provided to enhance the operation of the Gaza International Airport and to
develop the capacity of Palestinian Authority ministries operating at border crossings.
Responding to the urgent need of Palestinian Authority institutions to formulate plans and
policies aimed at alleviating poverty, UNDP, through its Sustainable Human Development
Unit, supported the preparation of the first Palestinian poverty report. As a follow-up to
the Poverty Report, a Palestinian poverty eradication plan will be developed and submitted
to the Palestinian Legislative Council and to the Cabinet.
41. In the area of gender, UNDP,
working in close cooperation with the Inter-ministerial Committee for the Advancement of
Women, initiated a pilot project to develop a Rural Girls Development Centre. The Centre
provides training in marketable skills and helps to develop awareness of social,
political, legal and economic issues that influence women’s lives. The Ministry of
Health and the Ministry of Agriculture have created a special curriculum and have provided
the required training to enable the young women to become community health workers or
agricultural extension workers. UNDP has also initiated a project to establish
women’s units within ministries to advocate gender equality and is supporting the
establishment of a Gender Statistics Unit at the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
The Sustainable Human Development Unit has also developed a project to assist educational
organizations to elaborate gender-sensitive curricula addressing the special needs of both
girls and boys.
42. Through its Public Administration
Support Programme, UNDP has continued support for training to build the auditing capacity
of the General Control Institute and the Ministry of Finance; to enhance coordination
among ministries through support to the Cabinet Office; to provide training and technical
assistance in the area of public sector management; and to support training and technical
assistance in line ministries. In the area of governance, UNDP also provided support to
the Palestinian Legislative Council to encourage the development of democratic,
transparent and accountable practices.
43. Through its “Transfer of
Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals” (TOKTEN) programme, UNDP has recruited over
150 highly skilled expatriate Palestinian professionals to serve as short-term advisers.
Through the use of core resources and the TOKTEN modality, UNDP has continued to provide
the Palestinian Authority with critical support in its efforts to produce the Palestinian
Development Plan 1999–2003, focusing during the reporting year on expanding the
participatory nature of the PDP preparation process to include government officials, the
public and marginalized groups. UNDP is also continuing its United Nations Volunteers
(UNV) programme. A new UNV project with a strong gender focus, “Empowering young
women in underprivileged Palestinian areas”, seeks to foster the social development
of school girls from rural and underprivileged areas of the West Bank and builds upon the
national UNV scheme that was launched in 1996. UNDP is also placing UNVs in universities,
municipalities, non-governmental organizations, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
and the National Conservatory of Music. The UNV White Helmets Initiative is involved in
producing detailed urban plans for the municipalities of Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah and
the project has also been extended to Bethlehem. White Helmet specialists are also
cooperating with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society to train a disaster preparedness
team and prepare the way towards a national disaster plan.
44. UNDP is also continuing its active
support for rural and economic development, environmental protection and agricultural
production. The reclamation of degraded rangelands has resulted in the rehabilitation of
agricultural land, and generated work for thousands of unemployed Palestinians. UNDP is
working with the Ministry of Agriculture to develop its capacity in policy analysis and
planning, and to develop agricultural research and extension services. UNDP has also
expanded the Local Rural Development Programme to improve the living standard of people in
rural areas, and to promote local economic development and employment generation. The
programme also aims to strengthen the capacity of local authorities and to develop the
ability of the Ministry of Local Government to provide villages and micro-regions with
technical assistance. The restoration of archaeological and historic sites in the
Bethlehem area forms part of a broader UNDP effort to support tourism development for
“Bethlehem 2000”. In cooperation with the Global Environment Facility, UNDP is
implementing projects that will promote energy efficiency and develop a biodiversity
strategy and action plan.
45. The UNDP programme of activities
responds directly to the development priorities identified in the Palestinian Development
Plan, as well as civil society institutions, and all projects are undertaken in close
cooperation with the relevant ministries. The overall strategy is based on using limited
UNDP core resources to launch capacity-building programmes that are subsequently sustained
through bilateral donor support, and ensuring the sustainability of capacity-building
programmes by matching UNDP technical and managerial expertise with the accountability and
viability of local implementation partners. UNDP also works closely with the Office of the
Special Coordinator and with other United Nations organizations, and plays an active role
in the donor coordination mechanisms, providing administrative and logistical support to
14 United Nations agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territory.
United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
46. The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been undertaking a programme of
cooperation with the Palestinian people since 1974. In April 1994, a plan of action was
prepared by the joint UNESCO/Palestinian Coordination Committee, which was translated into
the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP), containing 27 projects. The
second phase of PAPP, entitled “Development for peace” and composed of 12 new
projects, was agreed upon in May 1997 and a UNESCO liaison office was opened in the West
Bank the same month.
47. A Special Donors’ Conference
for Bethlehem 2000 was held in Brussels in May 1998. Of the $25 million committed by the
World Bank to Bethlehem 2000, $1.2 million will go towards three UNESCO projects: a
feasibility study on the different options for preserving Palestinian cultural heritage; a
culture and heritage legislation project; and the preparation of an action plan for Hebron
and Jericho. The World Bank has also agreed to finance a cultural film on Bethlehem to be
produced under the auspices of UNESCO, and the Bethlehem 2000 roving exhibition continued
its tour of European cities. In addition, an agreement was signed between Verona, Italy
and Bethlehem to develop friendly relations and cultural exchanges, and experts from
Verona are preparing a project document for the creation of a Museum of the Nativity in
Bethlehem. Italy is also funding two conservation projects in Hisham’s Palace in
Jericho and Norwegian funding is being used to train Palestinian specialists in the
conservation and restoration of cultural heritage.
48. Within the framework of continuing
technical support to the capacity-building of the Ministries of Education and Higher
Education, UNESCO supported the establishment of a Directorate of Scientific Research; a
conference on information technology in higher education; an expert in the area of special
educational needs; a report on “Education for All 2000” and a students’
guide to Palestinian higher educational institutions. Through its regular programme,
UNESCO has also continued financial and technical support to the UNRWA Department of
Education and has supported activities in early childhood learning, distance education and
the development of the history curriculum in Jerusalem schools in addition to sponsoring
Palestinian participants at various international conferences and workshops. Within the
framework of the project entitled “Reaching the unreached/education for children in
need”, cooperation continued with Gazan non-governmental organizations. Projects for
the rehabilitation and provision of furniture and teaching materials for 17 schools in the
West Bank commenced in March 1999, financed by the Government of Saudi Arabia. Saudi
Arabia has also agreed to fund, through UNESCO, a hotel management school at the
University of Al Azhar in Gaza and an institute for archaeological and architectural
conservation at Al-Quds University, East Jerusalem. UNESCO will also donate 120,000 books
to the eight Palestinian universities and various municipalities, as well as French
textbooks to schools.
49. UNESCO also continued support to
its multipurpose community resource centres in Gaza and Nablus, which have initiated
vocational training courses in languages, tourism, computer science and civic awareness
campaigns. A three-year project on capacity-building in water resources was launched in
March 1998 at the Water Research Centre of Al Azhar University and two experts visited
Nablus to provide advice on technology transfer for urban drainage. As part of UNESCO
support to the Palestinian News Agency project, a UNESCO mission identified the equipment
and training needs of the Agency and technical assistance is also being extended to the
Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation and to the Ministry of Culture. Finally, through the
network of the UNITWIN project for twinning universities, UNESCO has supported publication
of the “Journal of Involuntary Migration” and the convening of a conference on
the subject in Jerusalem in December 1998.
United Nations Population
Fund
50. Since 1998, United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) support, which totalled $7.2 million for the period
1996–1999, has been provided through the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian
People. Programme activities fall within the three core areas of UNFPA assistance, namely
reproductive health, including family planning and sexual health; population and
development strategies; and advocacy. The programme is being implemented by relevant
Palestinian Authority institutions and local non-governmental organizations. Through the
programme, UNFPA has aimed at capacity-building in Palestinian institutions and provision
of technical assistance and transfer of know-how through the advisers of the UNFPA Country
Support Team in Amman; concentrating
assistance on poor, densely populated and under-served areas; promoting partnership
between Palestinian Authority and local non-governmental organizations; and ensuring
complementarity with activities supported by other United Nations agencies and relevant
donors.
51. The Reproductive Health Programme
assists the Palestinian Authority in achieving the goals of its Health Plan by helping to
build local institutional capabilities for the provision of such care. At the policy
level, UNFPA assisted in the development of the infrastructure and human resources as well
as technical capabilities of the Women’s Health and Development Department of the
Ministry of Health. At the service delivery level, UNFPA assisted in the establishment of
a women’s centre for reproductive health care, social assistance, legal and
psychological counselling and community education at Burej refugee camp, Gaza, which
served some 13,000 refugee women in 1998 and is supporting the establishment of a similar
centre in the Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza. In the West Bank town of Jenin, UNFPA supports
community-based outreach activities for reproductive health services and information,
education and communication for both men and women. The project recruited about 6,000 new
users of contraceptives, introduced reproductive health/family planning services in 20
clinics and laid the ground for the integration of quality reproductive health/family
planning services in 58 primary health care clinics. A reproductive health strategy and
master plan is being prepared to help the Ministry of Health coordinate donor inputs.
52. UNFPA contributes to the
development of indicators to measure progress achieved in implementation of the relevant
programmes of action of global conferences. UNFPA has also assisted the Palestinian
Authority in the development of a project on analysis and dissemination of the data and on
training for its effective utilization. In addition, with assistance from UNFPA, an
advocacy task force was established and an advocacy strategy is being developed to create
a positive environment for population and reproductive health programmes and to raise
awareness of gender issues among policy makers, planners and media professionals. UNFPA
helped to develop a source book on population and reproductive health for adult education,
train 100 educators on effective communication of reproductive health concepts to students
and train 100 youth educators to be peer counsellors.
53. As regards future assistance, a
mid-term review of the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People in early 1999
concluded that its objectives, strategies and activities were still valid, realistic and
achievable in the context of the Palestinian Health Plan (1995–1999) and the
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and it
has contributed to enhancing the capabilities of the Palestinian Authority and
non-governmental organizations. It recommended that female gynaecologists and midwives be
trained to improve access to reproductive health services; access be improved to
adolescent reproductive health services; there should be further strengthening of local
institutions in the planning, management and coordination of reproductive health;
mechanisms should be developed for the long-term sustainability and cost recovery of
reproductive health services; and the development of a master plan should be expedited for
the coordination of reproductive health inputs from donors. The mid-term review also
recommended the extension of the programme for one year, with an additional allocation of
almost $1 million to respond to the needs cited above. In addition, it is proposed that a
women’s centre similar to those in Burej and Jabalia be established in Jericho.
United Nations
Children’s Fund
54. The United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) — Palestinian Authority
Master Plan of Operations for Palestinian Children and Women 1998–2000 is made up of
three integrated programmes: health and nutrition; basic education; and advocacy and
capacity-building. The Plan aims to promote the needs of Palestinian children and women,
as outlined in the guiding instruments: the Declaration and Plan of Action of the World
Summit for Children, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the
Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. During 1998, UNICEF contributed
$1.8 million to the above programmes, through the provision of technical assistance, and
supplies for capacity-building of Palestinian governmental and non-governmental
institutions, and advocacy and social mobilization activities.
55. In its health and nutrition
programme, UNICEF supported the training of trainers in various health disciplines;
upgraded the training capacity and resource centres of local universities and training
institutes; assisted in the standardization of procedures and protocols for the management
of common diseases and disorders; arranged networking visits and participation in regional
and global activities for Palestinian health professionals; increased the capability of
health professionals on disease surveillance and control; enhanced community awareness
through the production and dissemination of health education; supported the rights, needs
and health of young persons and school children; and piloted a referral and health
information system.
56. In the Basic Education Programme,
training and study visits for relevant staff were conducted with various ministries and
non-governmental organizations. Technical assistance was also provided for global
education, developing better parenting messages and training on the Convention on the
Rights of the Child. In addition, a manual on better parenting was prepared for community
education and was discussed at a symposium conducted by the Ministry of Social Affairs. A
national campaign for community education was also conducted, in which issues such as
gender, children in difficult circumstances, child labour and children with special needs
were addressed. Another campaign, using theatre to introduce the Convention on the Rights
of the child, with special emphasis on gender equality and the integration of children
with special needs, toured different primary schools. Finally, a magazine dealing with the
needs and rights of children was produced by the Ministry of Social Affairs, with
technical and financial assistance from UNICEF.
57. In the Advocacy and
Capacity-building Programme, training activities were conducted for a large number of
social workers and media professionals on children’s issues, using a rights-based
approach to programming. Field study visits, research and evaluation activities were also
conducted. National policies on foster parents are being devised, and a round table
discussion on child labour was carried out using the UNICEF child labour report. Advocacy
activities with policy makers, professionals and media persons were also carried out,
aiming at increasing the awareness and ensuring their continued commitment towards
achieving the rights of Palestinian children and women. In addition, community awareness
campaigns aimed at increasing awareness at all levels of society, with special emphasis on
children, were carried out.
58. Several key needs remain to be
addressed, especially those related to children with special needs. The high population
growth rate demonstrates the importance of focusing on the rights and the needs of youth
and adolescents, especially their right to participate in the development process.
Awareness of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women is low, overall social development planning
and rights-based programming is inadequate and more attention should be directed to
community empowerment. The quality and relevance of formal and non-formal education
requires continued UNICEF support, as do major women’s health issues such as
breast-feeding promotion, early marriages and the high birth rate. These needs form key
areas of attention in the UNICEF 1999 plan of action, developed within the framework of
the three-year Master Plan of Operations.
United Nations Development
Fund for Women
59. The United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM) continues to provide technical and financial support towards
strengthening women’s economic capacity as entrepreneurs and producers; engendering
governance and leadership that increase women’s participation in the decision-making
process; promoting women’s human rights to eliminate all forms of violence against
women; and transforming development into a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable
process. The UNIFEM economic empowerment programme aims to strengthen women’s
economic capacity, especially in the context of the new trade agenda and the emergence of
new technologies. The project entitled Development of women’s entrepreneurship and
leadership in Gaza, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and local
non-governmental organizations, has been supporting the establishment of three social
development centres. In addition, workshops and training were organized on the various
aspects of starting and running a business for women, and gender planning and analysis
courses were conducted for the directors of social centres and the heads of departments.
60. As part of the UNIFEM governance
programme, the Women in development facilitation initiative project in Western Asia was
set up. This project analyses women in development and gender and development trends
across development sectors. The women in development/gender and development projects of
some 22 local non-governmental organizations have been surveyed in developing a regional
database software and the fourth edition of the “Beyond Beijing” newsletter was
produced, focusing on the Gaza Strip and the issue of women’s health. The women in
development facilitation initiative continues to serve as the secretariat of the local
gender task force, which brings together all the United Nations agencies in the occupied
Palestinian territory involved in women’s programmes. UNIFEM also subcontracted the
Bir Zeit Women’s Studies Centre to assist the Palestinian Legislative Council in
setting up a specialized resource centre on gender issues and women and laws.
61. As part of the Human Rights
Programme, a regional campaign to eliminate violence against women aims to raise public
awareness of the problem. A play addressing the issue of domestic violence in the
Palestinian context was performed, and the campaign also included radio, television and
newspaper reports. UNIFEM also supported a newly established non-governmental organization
active in legal advocacy for women’s rights, and the Trust Fund project, “Legal
victimization of women in the Arab world” proposes to conduct a study on the issue of
honour killings.
United Nations Institute for
Training and Research
62. The United Nations Institute for
Training and Research (UNITAR) conducted 14 workshops in 1998 for the Palestinian
Authority, in the fields of financial management and auditing, management development and
geographic information systems. In cooperation with UNDP, UNITAR is continuing training
programmes in financial management and auditing for mid-level and senior managers, and is
also developing a programme in commercial diplomacy, in conjunction with UNDP and UNCTAD,
for staff at all levels in the Ministry of Economy and Trade. Training of trainers
workshops are also planned in order to make the Palestinian Authority self-sufficient in
meeting its training needs.
United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
63. The total number of refugees in
the occupied Palestinian territory served by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) numbered 1,348,438, of whom 578,744 live
in 27 refugee camps. UNRWA operates or sponsors 389 facilities and employs 9,792 staff,
over 99 per cent of whom are locally recruited Palestinians. The operational character of
UNRWA activities differs from that of other United Nations organizations, which for the
most part work through the Palestinian Authority or local executing agencies.
64. In the education sector, the 266
UNRWA elementary and preparatory schools accommodated 211,836 pupils in the 1998–1999
school year, an increase of 10,950 over the previous year. Despite progress in
construction and upgrading, lack of funds and sites meant that many schools had to be
accommodated in unsatisfactory rented premises, suffered from overcrowding, or were in
need of maintenance. To accommodate additional refugee pupils, the Agency continued to
rely on contract teachers. Owing to funding shortfalls, UNRWA remained unable to extend
the basic education cycle in the West Bank from 9 to 10 years to maintain conformity with
the Palestinian Authority education system. The Agency’s four vocational and
technical training centres provided 2,012 trainees with a variety of programmes. In
addition to regular in-service staff training programmes, the Educational Sciences Faculty
at the Ramallah training centres offered pre-service teacher training leading to a first
university degree for 600 trainees and university scholarships were awarded to 346
Palestine refugee students. The UNRWA 1998 education budget in the occupied Palestinian
territory was $78.9 million, although estimated annual expenditure was only $67.4 million,
owing to austerity and other cost reduction measures.
65. In the health sector, UNRWA
operated 51 health facilities that provided comprehensive primary health care and handled
3.5 million patient visits in 1998. Rehabilitation services were provided through 12
physiotherapy clinics. Secondary care was made available to refugee patients through a
combination of contractual agreements with non-governmental and private hospitals and
partial reimbursement of treatment costs, and directly at the Agency’s 43-bed
hospital in Qalqilia in the West Bank. In addition to several projects to extend or
improve internal sewerage in camps, environmental health services included sewage
disposal, management of storm-water runoff, provision of safe drinking water, collection
and disposal of refuse and control of insect and rodent infestation. Work continued on the
232-bed European Gaza Hospital which, upon completion, will be handed over to the
Palestinian Authority. An affiliated Gaza College of Nursing was taken over by the
Ministry of Health in August 1998 and will help to provide qualified staff for the
hospital. In October 1997, the Palestinian Authority, the European Commission and UNRWA
signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a hospital project board and agreeing
that an international management team would carry out the pre-commissioning and
commissioning of the hospital. The UNRWA 1998 health budget for the occupied Palestinian
territory was $27.4 million, although estimated annual expenditure was only $22.1 million,
owing to austerity and other cost reduction measures.
66. In the relief and social services
sector, the UNRWA special hardship programme provided 96,522 eligible refugees with direct
material and financial assistance, an increase of 2 per cent over the previous year. UNRWA
sponsored 25 women’s programmes, 17 community rehabilitation and 26 youth activity
centres, plus a rehabilitation centre in Gaza for the visually impaired. The UNRWA 1998
relief and social services budget in the occupied Palestinian territory was $13.5 million,
although estimated annual expenditure was only $8.5 million, again owing to austerity and
other cost reduction measures.
67. UNRWA continued implementation of
its Peace Implementation Programme, which seeks to improve infrastructure, create
employment and enhance socio-economic conditions for refugees in the Agency’s five
fields of operation, but there was a marked decline in pledges and contributions as
compared with previous years. UNRWA also continued to operate an income-generation
programme to create job opportunities and alleviate poverty by making credit available to
small businesses and micro-enterprises through revolving loan funds established with
project contributions. Established in 1991, the programme had, by 31 December 1998,
provided a total of $26.6 million in loans at commercial interest rates to 17,471
enterprises, while achieving repayment rates approaching 100 per cent.
68. The work of UNRWA continued to be
affected by the continuing financial crisis that the Agency has faced since 1993 as a
result of repeated shortfalls in funding for the regular budget combined with increasing
refugee needs. These shortfalls necessitated the introduction of a series of austerity
measures to bring expenditure in line with income and to reduce deficit amounts. The
Agency was consequently unable to expand services at a rate commensurate with the growth
in the registered refugee population, and it experienced a deterioration in the quality of
services as a result of overburdened staff and facilities. The Agency was obliged to
maintain a series of austerity measures, originally introduced in 1993, which represented
a direct reduction in services. These measures included a general recruitment freeze and a
freeze in regular budget allocations for shelter rehabilitation, university scholarships
and cash assistance to special hardship cases.
The Office of the Special
Coordinator in the Occupied Territories
69. In addition to its support,
outlined above, to the work of local and international mechanisms, UNSCO continued to
coordinate bilateral and multilateral training programmes for the Palestinian Police
Force. In 1998, 17 specialized training courses were held for some 300 policemen and
officers. The main objectives were to initiate a maintenance and revival strategy to
reverse a declining trend in training activities and police projects in general, and to
continue support for a transformation of international training efforts into a long-term
framework to enable the police to undertake its own training. The need for more
specialized training for the Palestinian Police Force was projected to the donor community
through the sector working group on police and through the UNSCO general support services
to those involved in the police sector. Recently, donor contacts have produced promising
initiatives and indicated commitments for police projects in 1999 and thereafter. UNSCO
continues to serve as the secretariat for the sector working group on police and provides
the Palestinian Police Force and donors with general support and advisory services,
facilitates visiting missions and trainers and assists in the monitoring, follow-up and
evaluation of courses and training programmes.
70. The Economic and Social Monitoring
Unit continued to publish periodic reports on economic and social conditions in the
occupied Palestinian territory, in addition to a special report entitled “The economy
of the West Bank and Gaza Strip: a retrospective on the 1990s and future challenges”.
A project to gather data pertaining to private construction activity in the occupied
Palestinian territory is nearing completion. The UNSCO Legal Adviser has prepared a new
comprehensive assessment of the development of the rule of law in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip based on an extensive survey among the Palestinian officials and institutions
concerned and international partners. The survey shows that support for this sector has
grown and that more than 320 projects are ongoing in this area, with more than $100
million committed. Particular emphasis was given to assisting with the updating of the
Palestinian Authority’s strategic plan for this domain and to ensuring its
consistency with the Palestinian Development Plan. As part of its activities associated
with the non-governmental organization sector, UNSCO has published a second, updated
edition of its directory of non-governmental organizations in the Gaza Strip and a
directory of non-governmental organizations in the West Bank is under print. There are
plans to bring out a second revised edition of the directory of non-governmental
organizations in donor countries.
World Food Programme
71. The World Food Programme (WFP)
provides the occupied Palestinian territory with assistance equivalent to $17.3 million,
in the form of short-term relief interventions and quick action projects. More recently,
WFP has provided assistance to the poorest segment of the population as a contribution to
the social safety net package of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The current project,
initiated in May 1998, envisaged support for 67,000 of the poorest among the Palestinian
population in the Gaza Strip and in the rural areas of the West Bank, but the number of
beneficiaries had reached 120,000 by the end of 1998. This was due to continuing
unemployment, as a result of economic depression and border closures, and the increasing
number of people who are experiencing prolonged social hardship and seeking assistance
from the Ministry. The Ministry has accordingly expanded beneficiary coverage to include
new applicants, in addition to 6,300 beneficiaries targeted through non-governmental
organizations for food for work and gender related activities.
72. WFP assistance is also directed to
poor farmers and fishermen involved in small-scale pilot projects implemented by the
Ministry of Agriculture, to vocational training centres and maternal and child health
centres. In addition, 11 non-governmental organizations with short-term operating budgets
have received WFP assistance, to enable them to hire and retain the necessary staff as
well as volunteers, and to improve their community outreach services. WFP rations are also
distributed through the Ministry of Agriculture to 720 small-scale and landless farmers in
south Gaza against a token cash payment representing 30 per cent of the market value of
the food ration. The funds generated in the first year of the project will be used to
support agricultural production and help farmers to adopt new farming patterns suitable
for local market requirements. Similar activities are being planned to start in the
Jericho area for 800 beneficiary farmers. In addition to in-kind assistance, the WFP
direct cash contribution to the project has been used to support capacity-building in the
Ministry of Social Affairs, and to upgrade and repair existing storage facilities in Gaza
and Khan Younis. WFP food aid has proven an effective means of income transfer for the
poorest of the population and has provided a form of food security, which assisted many
families in overcoming temporary food supply problems. During the period from May 1998 to
March 1999, WFP provided 10,670 metric tons of food commodities valued at $4.75 million.
In order to meet the requirements of an increased number of beneficiaries, WFP is
considering a revision in its budget for the remaining period of the project.
World Health Organization
73. To ensure effective coordination
in the health sector, the World Health Organization (WHO) has continued carrying out its
mandate by sharing health data and information with interested donors and organizations.
Planning of activities has been carried out jointly with UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, the World
Bank, the European Commission, and with several non-governmental organizations under the
overall coordination of UNSCO.
74. A report on the development
priorities of the occupied Palestinian territory, jointly prepared by the Ministry of
Health, the World Bank and WHO, has been presented to the international and the
Palestinian health communities. The document highlights the problems in developing an
effective health system and suggests measures to improve efficiency and sustainability.
Following the report, the Special Technical Assistance Programme has focused on the need
to rehabilitate primary health care and to strengthen and improve primary health care
services. An assessment of the general situation of the public primary health care network
is being carried out by WHO with UNDP and World Bank support, and a proposal for a
programme of rehabilitation and rationalization is being prepared. The goal is to
guarantee sustainable primary health care services in suitable premises throughout the
occupied Palestinian territory in an appropriate referral system. The Government of Japan
has already made funds available for rehabilitating a large number of primary health care
clinics in the West Bank.
75. A programme for the complete
rehabilitation of the expanded programme of the immunization cold chain has been
finalized. The programme, developed by WHO and executed jointly with UNICEF, has been part
of the effort to improve and sustain cost-effective public health activities. In addition,
two UNFPA projects aimed at the integration of reproductive health into primary health
care services are currently being executed by the Special Technical Assistance Programme.
These, inter alia, address practical aspects of the delivery of services by
improving several key primary health care clinics where comprehensive reproductive health
services are provided. The Palestinian Essential Drug Programme is aimed at improving the
pharmaceutical sector. The essential drug list for primary health care is almost complete
and the essential drug list for hospitals is under preparation. The primary health care
list is already in use by the Ministry of Health as the basis for drug procurement. Health
professionals have agreed on the need to use the list and to improve the rational use of
drugs. The Ministry of Health and a large number of Palestinian health professionals also
agree on the urgent need to develop and use standard Palestinian diagnostic treatment and
referral protocols. The awareness raised by the programme has started bearing its first
fruits: Ministry of Health expenditure on pharmaceuticals is declining.
76. The human component of the
brucellosis control programme is entering its second year of implementation concurrently
with the animal component executed by UNDP. Several donors contribute to the animal
component, for which WHO provides backstopping and technical advice. Within this
framework, training courses were held for key staff of the Ministry of Health and
specialized training is taking place in Greece. New policies aimed at controlling the
disease were adopted by the Ministry of Health, including compulsory notification of cases
of the disease by private practitioners and private laboratories, with free treatment for
all patients diagnosed with brucellosis. In addition, a project proposal, within the
framework of the International Initiative for the Prevention of Disabilities (IMPACT), has
been defined together with UNDP and UNICEF and has been submitted for funding to
interested donors, and a teaching assistant has been assigned to Bir Zeit University for
support in developing a new diploma course in primary health care. Upon a request from the
Ministry of Health, support was provided to selected Palestinians to enhance knowledge in
areas where local expertise is lacking, and publications have continued to be provided to
the Ministry of Health, to non-governmental organizations and to relevant health
institutions. Support has also been provided to United Nations agencies in the procurement
and delivery of equipment for health-related projects to the Palestinian Authority.
77. Despite a decrease in public
investments by the donor community, the health sector allocation in the Palestinian budget
was maintained at around $100 million per year. However, a worrying aspect of the current
economic situation which could negatively affect health sector development is that more
than 50 per cent of the recurrent budget is spent on salaries and wages. To respond to
these and other challenges, the joint WHO/World Bank/Ministry of Health study suggested
that the health system should be financially sustainable, that efficiency should be
improved through sector-wide initiatives and that the quality of services provided should
improve. To achieve this, the donor community might support capacity-building in
management, policy formulation and service delivery, which would result in the development
of sustainable local institutions and provide financial assistance for those investments
that are financially sustainable.
Annex
United
Nations entities active in the occupied territories
Department of
Economic and Social Affairs
Economic and
Social Commission for Western Asia
Food and
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International
Atomic Energy Agency
International
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International
Fund for Agricultural Development
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Labour Organization
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Telecommunication Union
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Trade Centre
United Nations
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Children’s Fund
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Development Fund for Women
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Development Programme
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United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
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Institute for Training and Research
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International Drug Control Programme
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Population Fund
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Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Office of the
United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories
United Nations
Volunteers
Universal Postal
Union
World Food
Programme
World Health
Organization
