Palestinian Development Vision Elaborated in Ramallah Meeting
Beirut, 23 September 2004 (United Nations Information Service)–Mr. Mohammed Ghadieh, Director-General of the Palestinian Ministry of Planning, said that the “Arab International Forum on Rehabilitation and Development in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Towards an Independent State”, with all the Arab and international support it is receiving, will prove an excellent opportunity to present the Palestinian vision for rehabilitation and development and its priorities, and to enhance the Arab-Palestinian partnership in the public and private sectors.
Mr. Ghadieh was speaking at a meeting held in Ramallah last Monday and attended by representatives from Palestinian governmental agencies and civil society to discuss the Palestinian vision for rehabilitation and development, which will be presented at the Forum scheduled to be held at the United Nations House, Beirut, from 11 to 14 October 2004.
More than 100 participants from concerned ministries, nongovernmental organizations, private sector and unions, met to discuss and consolidate views on a proposal for a development vision, which emphasizes priorities, while taking into consideration political and security instability. In order to ensure the active participation of those who were unable to attend due to movement restrictions, a videoconference with Gaza participants will be held on 22 September.
The main topics of discussion included the development vision and needs and priorities in economic development, social development and infrastructure.
The Palestinian Development vision will be the basis for deliberations on enhancing Arab and international development efforts at the Beirut Forum. The Forum, organized by ESCWA, the League of Arab States and the Palestinian Authority aims to enhance mechanisms for forging partnerships between Arab and Palestinian entities on several levels, thereby assisting the Palestinian people overcome the repercussions of the occupation as well as to address future challenges.
Document Sources: Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), League of Arab States (LAS)
Subject: Economic issues, NGOs/Civil Society, Social issues, Statehood-related
Publication Date: 23/09/2004