The First Palestine Resilience Conference (PRC) 2016 – From Sumud to Transformative Resilience will be held on 24-25 November 2016 at the InterContinental Hotel in Amman, Jordan. The conference will seek to review and reinvigorate the Palestinian resilience conceptual, programmatic, operational, as well as policy framework. Organized jointly by the Government of Palestine and the United Nations Development Programme/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP), the Conference will provide the space where practitioners, donors, government actors, non-government actors, and the private sector will meet to think-plan-deliver on how to influence resilience-based programming across the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

UNDP’s two year recovery programme is integrated into the Palestinian Recovery Strategy. It aims to create conditions for enhancing resilience and sustainable development, while building on both prior and current UNDP engagement in the Gaza Strip. Immediate priorities for UNDP include debris and rubble removal and recycling, solid waste management, and the repair of electricity, water and sewage infrastructure. Given the prevailing context, construction, the rehabilitation of infrastructure and the creation of jobs for affected people will be critical components of the programme.

UNDP has noted the court’s finding that Mr. Al Bursh has been sentenced for providing services to an illegal entity, without intent to cause harm. The court indicates that Mr. Al Bursh will be released on 12 January 2017. This outcome confirms that there was no wrongdoing by UNDP. UNDP has zero tolerance for wrongdoing in its programmes and is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability.

Education Above All (EAA), through its programme Al Fakhoora, and in partnership with UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, awarded 265 new scholarships to young leaders in the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of National Economy, the Palestinian Industrial Estates and Free Zones Authority (PIEFZA), the Government of Japan, Jericho Municipality, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), inaugurated the Mahmoud Darwish Road improving access to the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park (JAIP) and facilitating the movement of materials and products geared for export. The project, worth USD 320,000, has generated approximately 980 workdays.

Al Fakhoora scholars worked together over a four months period simulating United Nations sessions on issues currently on the UN agenda, learning about UN protocols and procedures, enhancing their art of debate and diplomatic speeches. Modeling the General Assembly, students simulated UN Security Council sessions and discussed the protection of children’s rights and affirmed the importance of protecting world heritage, especially in a conflict setting.

The European Union, the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Waqf, Arab Chamber of Commerce and UNDP/PAPP launched the Productivity and Urban Renewal Programme in East Jerusalem (PURE). The programme, with a total value of around USD 22 million, aims at supporting the resilience of Palestinians residing in East Jerusalem by improving socio-economic conditions through the urban revitalization of two key commercial centres in the city namely Salah Eddin and Sultan Suleiman streets. The PURE programme is currently funded by the European Union (EU) (5 million Euros) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (USD 4 million). The programme will be implemented by UNDP/PAPP over a 30-month period in cooperation with the Islamic Waqf and the Arab Chamber of Commerce in East Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip, 06 December 2016 – As part of the continuing efforts to support the education sector in the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Bank of Palestine and UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) celebrated the opening of three governmental schools in...

East Jerusalem, 01 December 2016 – The Government of Sweden and UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People signed a SEK 40 million (USD 4.4 million) contribution to the Community Resilience and Development Programme (CRDP) in support of the Palestinian population living in Area C and East Jerusalem....

The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) signed a USD 1million grant agreement with UNDP/PAPP to support Phase II of an initiative aimed at improving the living conditions of low-income Palestinian families in East Jerusalem by providing them with safe and affordable housing. The agreement was signed by Suleiman J Al-Herbish, OFID Director-General, and Roberto Valent, UNDP Special Representative of the Administrator, and witnessed by H.E. Hussein Al Araj, Palestinian Minister of Local Government, on the sidelines of the Palestinian Resilience Conference taking place on 24-25 November 2016.

Ramallah, 16 November 2016 – A milestone towards the establishment of a national legal aid system was officially reached in Ramallah today with the launch and first meeting of the National Legal Aid Committee. The meeting was officially opened by H.E. Ali Abu Diak, Minister of Justice; Advocate Hussein Shabaneh,...

In the State of Palestine, women represent half of the population. Palestinian women have high enrollment rates in education (94.4 percent), but in the labor market, there is still a wide gap between female and male participation 19.1% compared to 72.5% respectively in 2015). On the other hand, while progress has been registered in women’s participation in Palestinian public life through their presence in legislative bodies, ministries, enterprises, female participation in political life remains low. UNDP targets gender equality as part of its programming in its three main work streams: sustainable development; inclusive and effective democratic governance; and risk prevention and resilience. UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People has an extensive portfolio of projects and programmes that is contributing to the mainstreaming of gender and empowerment of women in the Palestinian society.

At a workshop held on 06 November 2016, representatives from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Ministry of Environment, Al Fakhoora, programme of Education above All Foundation and UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People gathered to evaluate the beautification initiatives submitted by five schools in the Gaza Strip.The competition comes as part of the Right to Education programme, implemented by UNDP with funds from Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) through Al Fakhoora, a programme of Education above All Foundation.

Jerusalem, 09 November 2016 - The European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched today a new programme to rehabilitate and consolidate the Gaza Industrial Estate (GIE). The GIE is intended to work as a catalyst for industrial development in Gaza once fully operational. The new...

Gaza Strip, 29 September 2016 – As part of continuous efforts to support education in the Gaza Strip, Education Above All (EAA) Foundation through their Al Fakhoora programme has partnered with the Qatar Fund for Development (QDF) and UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People to launch the...

Gaza Strip, 10 October 2016 – On World Mental Health Day, more than 100 professionals were brought forward to participate at a workshop entitled "Psychological First Aid Services: The Palestinian Experience", organized by the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme in partnership with the United Nations Development...

Jerusalem, 24 August 2016 – Commemorating the 2016 International Youth Day under the theme “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production”, UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People and the United Nations Volunteers Programme organized the distribution...

Funded by Canada, a UNDP project supports Palestinian small and medium enterprises in the West Bank to increase their exports potential and access new markets Mahdi Hassan, General Manager of Emirates Delights in Ramallah is proud of the challenges he overcame to gradually become one of the biggest exporter of...

The 2014 hostilities on the Gaza Strip have had a tremendous impact on the education sector. Many schools and educational facilities were damaged or totally destroyed, preventing some from resuming their academic year on schedule.   The Palestinian Society for Rehabilitation of Displaced is one of the learning...

Heba Abdel-Jawad, is a 15 year old attending the tenth grade at Shohada’ Al-Maghazi school in Gaza. She is one of the best students in her school, with a GPA of 98%. Her family consists of 10 members, “My father is a taxi driver and my mother is a teacher at a government school. I have two sisters: Rawan 22 and...