The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA), in partnership with the Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Provincial Council, organized an introductory session on “Local Economic Development and Local Socio-Economic Development under "the Catalan-Palestinian Municipal Cooperation Initiative, District 11: Cities of Palestine" project. The session brought together 56 representatives from Palestinian Local Government Units (LGUs) and 19 representatives from institutions, experts, and municipalities from Barcelona, Spain.
The session presented the framework for cooperation between the Palestinian and Catalan partners, highlighted the key challenges facing Palestinian LGUs in the field of local economic development, and showcased the Catalan experience in supporting local development while strengthening the economic and social fabric of communities.
Mr. Ayyoub Khalaf, Projects Coordinator at the Technical and Support Unit of APLA, emphasized that "the objectives of local economic development extend beyond achieving economic growth; they also aim to strengthen community resilience." He stressed the importance of ensuring equitable access to development opportunities and promoting inclusive development that benefits all segments of society.
The Municipality of Beita presented its experience in building partnerships with the private sector. Mr. Nidal Dweikat, an investor involved in the municipality's organic compost production project, highlighted that the project's most significant challenges stem from the restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation, which hinder citizens' access to the project site and negatively affect its continuity. Meanwhile, Mr. Ahmad Dweikat, Director of the Central Fruit and Vegetable Market at Beita Municipality, presented the municipality's experience in operating the central market, which serves more than 200 farmers. He emphasized that wholesale fruit and vegetable markets represent attractive investment opportunities while contributing to food security and strengthening the local economy.
For his part, Mr. Jorge Corties from the Barcelona City Council stated that the Catalan side has developed a clear understanding of the challenges facing Palestinian LGUs. He reaffirmed their commitment to continuing joint efforts during the upcoming phases of the project through both virtual meetings and field visits, with the aim of further enhancing technical cooperation between both sides.
The session also featured an interactive discussion between Palestinian LGUs and Catalan municipalities on the major challenges affecting local economic development in Palestine, including limited financial resources, high unemployment rates, and the movement and investment restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation, which result in the loss of significant economic and tourism opportunities. Participants recommended expanding labor-intensive projects, protecting local products, strengthening the regulatory environment to encourage municipal investment, and enhancing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to support economic planning.
In addition, the session introduced the project's implementation roadmap and the application procedures for the upcoming training programmes targeting Category (B) and Category (C) municipalities. The programmes will offer specialized training based on transparent selection criteria while supporting the development of practical and implementable development projects that promote economic sustainability and create new development opportunities for local communities.
"The Catalan-Palestinian Municipal Cooperation Initiative, District 11: Cities of Palestine" focuses on coordinating and organizing technical exchange and knowledge-sharing programmes between Palestinian municipalities and their counterparts in Catalonia. The project also supports the implementation of two municipal cooperation initiatives in Palestine aimed at improving public services, strengthening decentralized cooperation through municipal partnerships and twinning initiatives, and organizing two annual solidarity weeks to support advocacy efforts for the Palestinian cause.
