The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities "APLA" organized the "SDGs Day: Go Local", with the participation of 180 representatives of local authorities; members of APLA, and the representatives of partner organizations. The aim was to launch the process of localization led by APLA based on the principles of full partnership with all stakeholders and complementarity in implementation. The event was funded by the LGRP-GIZ on behalf of the BMZ, which was coinciding with the convening of the SDGs summit in New York to launch the new phase of the accelerated advancement towards the SDGs with high level political direction concerning the transformational measures.

APLA's President, Abdelkarim Al-Zubeidi during his opening remarks noted that APLA aspires to make this event regular, to be held with the participation of local authorities, local and international partners, to be a testament to our commitment as Palestinian local authorities to exert all necessary efforts locally and to contribute to the realization of the SDGs. He further added that the SDGs are not merely a group of goals, but rather a promise to the future generations, therefore, we must continue to engage our communities, listen to their needs and involve them in the decision-making processes to guarantee that no one is left behind.

The Deputy Assistant on Local Authorities Affairs at the Ministry of Local Government, Khalid Ishtayeh expressed the pride of the Ministry to be present to launch this event, which constitutes an important interactive platform that reflects Palestine's engagement as well as the local authorities in dedicated work to localize the SDGs at the local level. This will contribute to complementing the steps taken by the Palestinian government in that regard, emphasizing that in Palestine, we will continue working despite the difficult circumstances we suffer because of the Israeli occupation, its practices and the restrictions it imposes geographically and on resources.

On another note, the Director General of Records and Statistics Control at the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics "PCBS", Khalid Abu Khalid, emphasized the importance of partnership to realize the SDGs. Moreover, he praised the participatory relationship linking the PCBS and APLA as well as the efforts resulting from such partnership, which will be crowned with implementing the current project to provide data at the level of 52 local authorities in the West Bank, including most of the indicators of sustainable development. This will serve as a voluntary report on what the Palestinian government will be preparing on the achievements of Palestine.

The Director of the LGRP/GIZ clarified the importance of SDGs localization issues for the German government, reaffirming the program's continuous endeavor to enhance awareness on the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, in order to translate those goals into our lives, polices and local strategies. Furthermore, he pointed out the importance of enhancing partnerships and joint work to achieve that, which reflects the joint work with APLA, MoLG, PCBS and all local governance stakeholders.

Through a recorded message, the Secretary General of UCLG, Emilia Siaz, clarified that the message submitted by the delegation of local and regional governments led by UCLG, at the SDGs summit in New York, is that we need a different type of investment, capacity building, and recognition of the growing roles of local authorities. Moreover, she praised the role APLA plays in that regard, expressing the UCLG's pride in APLA joining its learning programs, as well as the accreditation of APLA's staff as trainers in SDGs issues.

APLA's Executive Director, Eng. Aballah Anati, presented APLA's vision for the localization of SDGs, noting APLA's restless efforts to empower and support local authorities throughout Palestine, and his complete understanding of the decisive role the local authorities play in handling unique challenges and opportunities within their local communities. In addition, Anati announced that this event is a platform to launch the localization process including devising ambitious sustainable development goals at the heart of local development, and ultimately translating it to measures that will enhance the lives of Palestinian citizens in a tangible manner.

The SDGs Day included also an interactive session on SDGs and the localization process under the title "the SDGs Challenge", to test the audience's knowledge of the global agenda and enhance a deeper understanding of its contents. Moreover, the audience was given the opportunity to participate in the interactive corners and awareness games and competitions designed to increase participants' engagement and enhance their awareness of SDGs and localization issues.