The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities concluded its participation of the Fourth Conference for German-Palestinian Municipal Partnerships held in Bruhl, Germany, which was organized by SKEW/Engagement Global in cooperation with GIZ’s Local Governance Sector Reform Program and in partnership with the Association of German Cities and APLA. The conference was attended by 17 Palestinian local authorities represented by heads and members of councils as well as technical staff from these local authorities which have twinning and partnerships with German cities. The conference built on the results of the third conference held in Jericho two years ago.
APLA’s President, Eng. Mousa Hadid opened the conference during the reception held under the auspices of the State of Palestine Ambassador to Germany Dr. Khuloud Deibes and in presence of Bruhl City Mayor Mr. Dieter Freytag, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Ms. Nicole Hoffman, the General Manager of Connective Cities organization Dr. Jens Kreuter, and the participants from Palestinian and German local authorities.
In his speech, APLA President, Mousa Hadid, stressed on the importance of maintaining the relationship between APLA and its German partners over the past years, and promoting the relations between Palestinian and German local authorities. He highlighted the effort of German organizations seeking to develop the local government sector in Palestine and the support they provide local authorities to build their capacity in the provision of services and meeting the needs of the public in accordance with the national Palestinian goals and priorities.
On his part, APLA’s Executive Director, Eng. Abdallah Anati presented APLA’s strategic plan for the years 2019-2022. He clarified that this conference promotes APLA’s vision to strengthen relations and exchange expertise with international organizations due the opportunities opened for officials and staff at local authorities, including being exposed to successful experiences and challenges faced by local authorities around the world. This will expand their horizons and build their capacities in the provision of the best services to the public.
During the discussion session on the role of associations of local authorities, members of APLA’s executive committee, Jericho Mayor Salem Ghrouf stated “we represent the services sector, however, as local authorities in Palestine, we are a form of governance in Palestine. The existence of APLA expresses the views of all Palestinians through around 480 representatives of Palestinian local authorities.” Mayor of Beit Sahour Municipality, Jihad Kheir, expressed the pride of local authorities of having a representative and defender of their rights, he stated “APLA is the main umbrella and key reference for local authorities. APLA is currently a policymaker and has a role in decision making at the Palestinian level.”
The four-day conference included a presentation of the Palestinian-German municipal partnership programs and the various projects implemented through such partnerships. It also included sessions allocated to identify future projects to be implemented between partner municipalities from both sides, as well as other sessions to discuss numerous topics relating to the local governance sector, mainly on the role of associations of municipalities, cooperation between local authorities, efficient communication of municipal partnerships, sustainable development goals at the local level, energy efficiency, community participation, climate change, local priorities, and local strategic development plans.
In the conference closing ceremony, APLA’s Executive Director Eng. Anati praised the participation and efficient role of local authorities, which resulted in the success of the conference and the realization of its goals. He stated, “you must be proud of yourselves as Palestinian local authorities and what you provide in light of the difficult conditions in Palestine.” He urged the participants from both sides to continue working on joint projects and maintain communication between Palestinian and German local authorities towards realizing the long-term goals of the German-Palestinian Municipal Partnerships Conference.
