Palestine question/Assistance – Japan implements three projects for PA reform through UNDP – Japanese Govt. press release (Non-UN document)

Japan's Assistance for the Palestinians through the UNDP Trust Fund for the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People

March 7, 2005

1. The Government of Japan has decided to implement following three projects (totaling about 1.9 million dollars) through the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) for the reform efforts by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and improvement of living conditions in the Palestinian territories. The expense for these projects will be provided from the FY2004 contribution to the UNDP Trust Fund for the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People.

(1) Support for development of guidelines for medical waste management including collection, transfer and disposal of waste in the West Bank and also for capacity-building of the Environmental Quality Agency and Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Authority (one million dollars; 110 million yen)
The project is aimed at helping the Palestinian Authority and hospitals in the territories to secure appropriate disposal and management of medical waste through providing technical cooperation to the Environmental Quality Agency and the Ministry of Health of the PA.

(2) Support for works on reviewing and amending property tax legislation (500,000 dollars; 55 million yen)
Legal experts will be invited to the Ministry of Local Government to carry out reviewing and amending of property tax legislation that will contribute to increasing the revenues of local governments. This cooperation is one of the reform items specified in the "Reform Action Plan for Local Government", which Japan helped its formulation. This project is part of Japan's involvement and cooperation related to the Task Force for Palestinian Reform chaired by Japan.

(3) Support for capacity and institutional building of the Palestinian Authority (over 400,000 dollars; about 45 million yen)

Thirty four Palestinian experts residing overseas will be dispatched (for an average of three months) to various important bodies of the Palestinian Authority which are implementing Palestinian reform, such as the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of National Economy, and the General Personnel Council, and engaged in transfer of know-how and expertise.

2.  With this cooperation in funding it is hoped that the living conditions in the Palestinian territories will be improved and the reform by the PA will make further progress.