The President of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) Mousa Hadid met with the Minister of Local Government Dr. Hassan Al-Araj. The Executive Director of APLA Abd Allah Anati and Director General of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Local Government Islam Abu Ziyad and Director General of Financial Affairs Ghassan Daraghmeh attended the meeting.

Hadid and Dr. Al-Araj discussed a number of issues concerning local authorities, their work mechanisms, their relations with ministries and government agencies, to follow up on many areas, the nature of services they deliver to citizens, means of improving financial revenues, and ensuring financial sustainability of municipalities and village councils.

Dr. Al-Araj affirmed the importance of APLA as a key partner of the Ministry of Local Government. Dr. Al-Araj also asserted the role of APLA in developing public policies and continuous efforts to enhance and empower local authorities to fully perform their duties. Dr. Al-Araj said the Ministry of Local Government and APLA worked together to improve the local government sector in Palestine and to build on what had been achieved. Dr. Al-Araj stressed that it was necessary for APLA to enhance communication with its counterparts at countries that had established relations with Palestine and to expand relations and enable Palestinian local authorities to establish partnerships with counterparts to boost the exchange of experience and expertise and culture.

President of APLA Mr. Hadid briefed Dr. Al-Araj about the upcoming plans of APLA; especially finalizing APLA 2019-2022 Strategic Plan, which will be launched within the coming few weeks and the activities of APLA that aim to enhance the capacities of the local authorities in all areas of their functions and to represent them locally and abroad. Mr. Hadid also briefed Dr. Al-Araj about the participation of delegation from APLA in the Cities and Regions for Development Cooperation Forum held recently in Brussels to enhance political dialogue between the European Union organizations and local and regional authorities in Europe and partner countries across the world and mechanisms of boosting local and regional partnerships for sustainable urban development.  

Mr. Hadid said that APLA would support the Ministry of Local Government in the efforts the Ministry spent on developing the local government sector. Mr. Hadid stressed the necessity of the support the Ministry of Local Government provided to APLA as well as sustaining constant communication between APLA and the Ministry of Local Government to discuss issues of joint concern to improve local government sector and provide municipalities and local councils with development projects.