The Executive Director of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA), Eng. Abdallah Anati participated in an international study tour on "Designing a Human Centered Service and Innovative Participation in Local Governments" in Sweden and Denmark. This was part of the E-Government Program outcomes in Palestine and the MENA Region (INDIGO), attended by H.E. Minister of Local Government, Eng. Majdi Al-Salhi, the General Director of MDLF, Mohammad Al-Ramahi, in addition to a group of Mayors of municipalities targeted by the project, and the project team at GIZ. The study tour aimed at learning international best practices in providing digital services and citizen participation in harmony with the Palestinian context.

The program in Sweden included a visit to the Embassy of Palestine to Sweden, a visit to Stockholm Municipality building, and the Urban Information and Telecommunication Information Center, responsible for coordinating the public sector needs with the needs of the private sector to find new digital solutions for sustainable cities. In addition, it included participating in a symposium organized by the Swedish Center for Digital Innovation on current challenges of the digital government in Sweden.

However, during the tour in Denmark, participants were introduced to the experience of the Danish Design Center in working with companies and organizations to steer their innovative efforts and focus on human and community’s needs. Moreover, the Association of Danish Local Authorities presented the reality of local governance in Denmark in addition to the efforts exerted with the local authorities and partner organizations in the fields of digitization. Furthermore, the program included a meeting with the Danish Digital Dimension Organization, who introduced the Palestinian delegation to the mechanism of linking technical talents, start-ups and investors to the available opportunities related to the digital ecosystem.

APLA's Executive Director, Eng. Abdallah Anati explained that it was agreed with the Danish Association of Local Authorities to activate and enhance the joint cooperation in order to exchange expertise and enhance relations that connect Palestinian local authorities to their Danish counterparts. This is based on the belief in the importance of this type of cooperation that contributes to conveying the Palestinian reality on one hand, and exchanging experiences in all joint fields, opening new horizons for Palestinian local authorities to enter partnership or twinning agreements with their international counterparts on the other hand.