The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) held the second training workshop in its series on “Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Strategic Development Planning”, with the participation of 41 representatives from 24 Local Government Units (LGUs) in Hebron and Bethlehem Governorates. The workshop aimed to strengthen LGUs’ capacities to integrate SDGs into the preparation of their development plans, programs, and projects, contributing to sustainable local development and aligning local priorities and needs with global development goals and targets.

The training covered the concept of the SDGs and their importance in local planning and development, as well as mechanisms for integrating them into the five stages of the strategic development planning process. It also reviewed the key updates introduced in the 2024 Strategic Development Planning Guide, particularly in the areas of sustainability, climate change, resilience, and inclusion. The training highlighted the importance of these updates in guiding planning processes within LGUs and strengthening their responsiveness to development challenges and needs.

The training also highlighted APLA’s efforts to localize the SDGs at the LGU level through awareness-raising and advocacy, technical support, progress measurement, and capacity building. This included introducing APLA’s SDG website and the “Baladiyah Meter” tool, and explaining their role in supporting LGUs in monitoring progress and measuring the implementation of their strategic plans.

Consultant Dr. Samer Raddad presented the relationship between the SDGs and the updated Strategic Development Planning Guide. He explained how to link local development challenges and issues with the relevant SDGs, targets, and indicators, and how to incorporate them into the formulation of development programs and projects and the identification of monitoring and evaluation indicators. These approaches help ensure that strategic plans are aligned with sustainable development priorities and facilitate the measurement of development outcomes.

Participants also discussed LGUs’ experiences in coordinating SDG localization efforts and preparing strategic plans, with a focus on strengthening integration between the goals and plans, and linking local priorities and needs to the relevant targets and indicators. These efforts aim to enhance the effectiveness of development planning and help direct resources towards the actual needs of local communities.

The training is part of  APLA's activities marking Urban October and is part of the project “Mobilizing the Capacities of Palestinian Local Government Units for Knowledge Exchange and Adaptation to the Sustainable Development Goals”. The project is implemented under the Local Governance Reform Program (LGRP-III), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supported by (GIZ).