Member of the Executive Committee of “The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA)” Mayor of Qalqilya, Dr. Hashim Al Masri, participated in the "Local Economic Development: "Reality, Ambition and Determinants" conference which was organized in partnership and cooperation between the Palestinian Conflict Resolution Institute (Taawon), Ministry of Local Government and the Master's Program “Government and Local Governance Studies” at Birzeit University.

Dr. Al Masri explained during his participation in a session of experiments in local economic development "that APLA’s strategic plan (2019-2022) was characterized by its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. He said: “The vision of APLA adds a local dimension to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals including its three dimensions – economic development, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability- through ensuring the active participation of Local Government Units."

Dr. Al Masri reviewed the role of APLA in attaining local economic development through supporting the initiatives launched by the Local Government Units in the field of development, job creation, and capacity building of these Local Government Units to promote small-scale industries and start-ups in the local development strategies it adopts, while taking into account the local resources, needs and markets, and encouraging and facilitating partnerships between Local Government Units, Public Institutions, Private Sector, and Civil Society, and between these bodies and international partners.

He confirmed that APLA is working on preparing, amending, reviewing and updating the various laws, policies, and regulations related to the Local Government sector and the process of Economic Development to develop and align them with the requirements of local economic development, thus creating a legislative and legal structure that regulates and supports the development process.

The conference included three sessions; the first was entitled "Local Economic Development: Localization of the Concept and Institutionalization of the Action", the Second was entitled "Local Economic Development: The Legal Framework and Policy Determinants", and the third was entitled "Experiences in Local Economic Development".