The President of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA), Abdul Karim Al Zubaidi, took part in the Presidential Board meeting of the Social Inclusion Committee of United Cities and Local Governments – Middle East and West Asia (UCLG-MEWA), hosted in Ankara, Türkiye, with the participation of delegations representing cities and local authorities from across the region.

In his opening remarks, Al Zubaidi presented a Palestinian perspective that places social inclusion where it belongs: as a question of the city, dignity, and the right to access—directly linked to public services, shared spaces, and people’s real ability to live within a geography shaped by fragmentation, unequal opportunities, and accumulated vulnerability. He underscored that Palestinian municipalities stand on the front lines every day, serving communities in cities, villages, and refugee camps, while managing overlapping crises that place an exceptional responsibility on local government to protect the most marginalized and advance justice in the details of daily life.

Within the Committee’s deliberations, Al Zubaidi called for anchoring social inclusion as an institutional commitment within local authorities by integrating it into urban planning, municipal budgets, monitoring and evaluation systems, and local databases—so that equity and equal opportunity become clear benchmarks for action. He also stressed the importance of building practical knowledge bridges among member cities to exchange expertise on poverty, displacement and refugee-related challenges, disability inclusion, ageing, and child and youth priorities, and to develop workable tools that help municipalities widen inclusion, strengthen participation, and direct resources toward those most in need.

APLA affirms that this participation forms part of its sustained international engagement aimed at translating the voice of Palestinian local authorities into concrete contributions within regional platforms, and turning city diplomacy into partnerships and supportive steps that enhance municipalities’ ability to safeguard essential services and expand social justice at the local level.