Mr. Abdallah Anati, Executive Director of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA), held a meeting with a number of Mayors of Local Government Units (LGUs) from Tulkarm Governorate. The meeting brought together Mr. Waleed Hussein, Mayor of Baqa Ash-Sharqiya Municipality; Mr. Dirar Abdulghani, Mayor of Saida Municipal Council; Mr. Nazem Kattaneh, Mayor of Nazlat Issa Village Council; Mr. Bilal Alloush, Mayor of Nazlat Issa Village Council; and Mr. Tayseer Ammarna, Mayor of Akkaba Village Council. The meeting was attended by the directors of APLA's Technical and Legal Support Unit, Programmes and Policies Unit, and Communication and Advocacy Unit, as part of APLA's ongoing efforts to strengthen communication and coordination with LGUs and better understand their needs and priorities.

The meeting reviewed the key challenges facing LGUs and discussed their institutional and development needs, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation and coordination between APLA and LGUs in order to enhance their performance and improve the quality of services provided to citizens.

Participants also discussed mechanisms to strengthen APLA's role in providing the necessary support to LGUs and explored opportunities to benefit from the APLA's programmes and initiatives. These include decentralized cooperation programmes, partnerships that support local development efforts, capacity-building programmes, and knowledge exchange between Palestinian LGUs and their international counterparts.

The meeting forms part of APLA's ongoing efforts to maintain direct engagement with LGUs, identify their priorities and needs, and support their institutional development while strengthening their role in serving local communities.