The Netherlands Signs Contribution Agreement to the UNDP/UN Women Joint Programme
in Support of the Palestinian Rule of Law Sector
Jerusalem, 22 August 2014 – Demonstrating their steadfast support to the rule of law and community access to justice and security, the Government of the Netherlands and UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People signed, on behalf of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund, an USD 8.1 million contribution agreement covering a period of three years.
The agreement is part of a USD 29.5 million UNDP/UN Women Joint Programme to strengthen the rule of law and improve access to justice across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Mr Gert Kampman, acting Head of Mission at the Netherlands Representative Office, highlighted “As a longstanding partner of UNDP, the Government of the Netherlands is proud to participate in this comprehensive rule of law programme that will provide vital assistance to the Palestinian Government in its efforts to ensure justice and security to all its citizens”.
The Joint Programme, entitled ‘Strengthening the Rule of Law in the occupied Palestinian territory: Justice and Security for the Palestinian People‘ (2014-2017), aims at strengthening the rule of law both by developing efficient and accountable rule of law institutions and by improving access to justice and security services for disadvantaged groups.
Building on the achievements of the previous programmes of UNDP and UN Women on the rule of law and access to justice and security services, the joint programme will in particular further efforts to support institutions to provide gender-responsive justice and security services capable of preventing, protecting and addressing the needs of women and girls victims/survivors of domestic violence.
Mr Frode Mauring, UNDP Special Representative of the Administrator acknowledged the importance of this programme given the crisis in Gaza “this programme is needed more than ever to help build a Palestinian State based upon the principles of rule of law, human rights and justice”.
Ms Inas Margieh, UN Women Programme Coordinator/Officer in Charge, added that “the institutionalization of policies and mechanisms for the protection of women, especially victims/survivors of violence, is an imperative for the establishment of accountable and fair institutions that respond to the needs of all, as the Gaza crisis reminds us even more”.
The Palestinian Government has strongly endorsed the programme, which will work in partnership with eleven Palestinian justice and security institutions key to ensuring the rule of law. It will also deepen existing partnerships with a large number of specialist civil society organisations to empower vulnerable Palestinian groups including women, children and communities in Area C and East Jerusalem to demand their rights and overcome corruption by strengthening citizen oversight.
The agreement was signed on Friday, 22 August 2014 in the presence of Mr Gert Kampman, acting Head of Mission at the Netherlands Representative Office in Ramallah, Ms Inas Margieh, UN Women Programme Coordinator/Officer in Charge, and UNDP Special Representative of the Administrator, Mr Frode Mauring.
Contact Information
For further information, please contact:
Dania Darwish, Communications Specialist, Tel. +972-2-6268229 – e-mail: dania.darwish@undp.org. For more information on UNDP/PAPP see http://www.ps.undp.org.
Document Sources: UN Women, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Country: Netherlands
Subject: Assistance, Governance, Women
Publication Date: 22/08/2014