A Palestinian delegation comprised of representatives from the Social Development, Education and Higher Education and Local Government Ministries, in addition to the civil society sector represented by MIFTAH and ARIJ, visited Tunis, Tunisia last week during which several meetings were held as part of a visit to exchange knowledge and experiences on standards of international transparency for budgets and the participatory approach in preparing these budgets. The visit took place between October 16 and 19, 2017.
The visit is part of the Oxfam-funded project “Finance for Development”, implemented by MIFTAH in partnership with ARIJ and AMAN. The project seeks to establish standards of international transparency, including the publication of the citizens’ budget and other goals. In conjunction with the Social Development and Local Government Ministries, the citizens’ budgets for 2016 and 2017 were released and with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education for the 2017 citizens’ budget. Current efforts are aimed at expansion, to include the Ministries of Health and Finance and Planning.
The visit began with a workshop between the Palestinian delegation and Tunisian civil society , which included presentations by the Ministries of Social Development, Education and Higher Education and Local Government in addition to MIFTAH. The Civil Society Team on Promoting Public Budget Transparency joined via Skype. The abovementioned ministries presented their experiences in developing and releasing the citizens’ budgets of each ministry, shedding light on the development projects, achievements, challenges and lessons learned as a model for building and exercising international transparency standards for budgets.
MIFTAH’s presentation showcased its work with the ministries, shedding light on the standards of international transparency and the component of tax system reform in their contribution to achieving social justice. The presentation explained that the Palestinian government adopts three of the eight standards of international transparency for budgets: issuing the pre-budget statement; a ratified and adopted general budget; and monthly and quarterly periodical reports. The remaining five standards are: executive budget proposal; citizens’ budget; semi-annual reports; annual reports and audited annual reports.
Furthermore, the Palestinian delegation met with the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Women, Family and Childhood and the Ministry of Local and Environmental Affairs in Tunis over a two-day period during which the delegation exchanged knowledge and expertise with their Tunisian counterparts. The programs of the Palestinian ministries and the experience of issuing the citizens’ budget were presented. On the Tunisian side, represented by the general administration of program planning and budgets, also presented its program and action strategies on the one hand and specified their political priorities and budgetary allocations for these programs on the other, all while taking into consideration that the budget must be gender-responsive and cater to the needs of marginalized social sectors in order to achieve social justice. The delegation met with Tunisian Minister of Local and Environment Affairs Riadh Mouakhar in which they discussed the opportunity to exchange experiences and expertise on supporting the decentralization and transparency of the local government sector.
Anwar Hammam, deputy assistant for governorate affairs in the Ministry of Social Development explained that the citizens’ budget provided the necessary information and knowledge to Palestinian citizens on the work of the ministry, thus influencing the stereotype about the ministry, which is that its work is limited to transferring cash assistance and distributing food packages. “We moved from the idea of planning for the people to participation of the people in the planning process,” he said, adding that the preparation process for the citizens’ budget was in line with the new strategic directives for social development. This, he explained, is based on a participatory approach aimed at promoting local ties. Furthermore, Hammam added, the citizens’ budget is important in the process of social marketing for the ministry’s programs.
Furthermore, Dr. Mamoun Jabr, director general of educational planning at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education explained that publishing the citizen budget at the ministry reflected the importance the government puts on the education sector and how earnest it is in carrying out the national policies agenda for 2017-2022, which specifies the eighth goal for education. That is, the citizens’ budget presents the financial allocations for policies exclusive to education in the agenda and reinforces the ministry’s willingness to sit down with civil society to discuss the details of the education and higher education budget.
General director for financial affairs at the Ministry of Local Government Ghassan Daraghmeh said the publication of the citizens’ budget helped to convey the experiences and viewpoint of the ministry regarding Palestinian civil society institutions in moving from a relationship characterized by competition and collision to the institutionalization of a real partnership which contributes to achieving the needs of Palestinian citizens and expanding the scope of interaction between the two.
MIFTAH coordinator for the project “Finance for Development” Tamara Tamimi said the visit was part of efforts to ensure the sustainability of the capacity development of Palestinian ministries that enable them to adopt standards of international transparency in addition to establishing networking opportunities between Palestinian ministries and institutions and their Tunisian counterparts.
Meanwhile, MIFTAH Director of the Policy Dialogue and Good Governance Program Lamis Hantouli said through these interventions, MIFTAH seeks to develop and support competencies in Palestinian ministries, especially in regards to creating change in the formulation of financial policies in the service of the public interest. It also seeks to promote confidence building and professional dialogue between official and civil society institutions with the goal of ensuring the presence of Palestine before international and regional forums for adopting the criteria and practice of good governance in spite of the unstable political situation and the Palestinian government’s financial crises.
'مفتاح' تنظم جولة تبادل خبرات ومعارف إلى تونس العاصمة حول معايير الشفافية الدولية للموازنات
تاريخ النشر: 26/10/2017
بقلم: مفتاح
عاد إلى أرض الوطن وفد فلسطيني يجمع بين المؤسسة الرسمية الفلسطينية ممثلةً بوزارات التنمية الاجتماعية والتربية والتعليم العالي والحكم المحلي، وقطاع المجتمع المدني ممثلاً بالمبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" ومعهد الأبحاث التطبيقية- القدس "أريج" بعد زيارة إلى تونس العاصمة، استكمل خلالها عدداً من اللقاءات في إطار جولة تبادل خبرات ومعارف في مجال معايير الشفافية الدولية والنهج التشاركي في إعداد الموازنات في الفترة الواقعة بين 16- 19/10/2017.
وتأتي جولة تبادل الخبرات والمعارف في إطار مشروع "التمويل من أجل التنمية" الذي تنفذه مؤسسة "مفتاح"، بالشراكة مع معهد "أريج"، والائتلاف من أجل النزاهة والمساءلة "أمان"، وبدعم من أوكسفام، والذي يسعى إلى تبني معايير الشفافية الدولية للموازنات، بما في ذلك إصدار موازنة المواطن، إلى جانب جملة أخرى من الأهداف. وفي هذا الإطار تم العمل مع وزارتي التنمية الاجتماعية والحكم المحلي على إصدار موازنة المواطن لعامي 2016 و2017، ومع وزارة التربية والتعليم العالي على إصدار موازنة المواطن الخاصة بالعام 2017، حيث ترمي الجهود الحالية لتوسيع نطاق العمل على أن يتضمن وزارتي الصحة والمالية والتخطيط.
واستهلت اللقاءات بورشة عمل جمعت بين الوفد الفلسطيني والمجتمع المدني التونسي، تضمنت عروضاً من كل من وزارات التنمية الاجتماعية، التربية والتعليم العالي، والحكم المحلي، إلى جانب مؤسسة "مفتاح"، وعبر السكايب الفريق الأهلي لدعم شفافية الموازنة العامة، حيث عرضت الوزارات المذكورة تجربتها بتطوير ونشر موازنة المواطن الخاصة بالوزارة، مسلطين الضوء على عملية التطوير والانجازات والتحديات والدروس المستفادة كنموذج لتبني وممارسة معايير الشفافية الدولية الخاصة بالموازنات.
وأوضح عرض مؤسسة "مفتاح" العمل مع الوزارات في سياق البرنامج الأوسع، مسلطاً الضوء على معايير الشفافية الدولية ومكون إصلاح النظام الضريبي بما يسهم في تحقيق العدالة الاجتماعية. وأشار العرض، إلى أن الحكومة الفلسطينية تتبنى ثلاثة من أصل ثمانية معايير للشفافية الدولية للموازنات، ألا وهي بلاغ الموازنة العامة، والموازنة العامة المقرة والمعتمدة، والتقارير الشهرية والربعية الدورية، علماً بأن المعايير الخمس الأخرى هي ملخص مقترح الموازنة، وموازنة المواطن، والتقرير نصف السنوي، والتقرير السنوي، والتقرير السنوي المدقق.
من جانب آخر، التقى الوفد الفلسطيني في تونس العاصمة مع وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية، ووزارة المرأة والأسرة والطفولة ، ووزارة الشؤون المحلية والبيئة على مدار يومين، تبادل خلالها الوفد المعارف والخبرات مع نظرائه التونسيين، حيث تم عرض برامج الوزارات الفلسطينية وتجربة إصدار موازنة المواطن. وقامت الوزارات التونسية ممثلة بالإدارات العامة الخاصة بالتخطيط البرامجي وإعداد الموازنة باستعراض برامجها واستراتيجيات العمل من جهة، وتحديد الأولويات السياساتية ورصد الموازنات لتلك البرامج من جهة أخرى، آخذين بعين الاعتبار جعل الموازنة مستجيبة للنوع الاجتماعي واحتياجات الفئات الاجتماعية المهمشة بما يخدم تحقيق العدالة الاجتماعية. والتقى الوفد مع وزير الشؤون المحلية والبيئة رياض الموخر حيث تم نقاش فرص تبادل التجارب والخبرات حول دعم اللامركزية والشفافية في قطاع الحكم المحلي.
وأوضح أنور حمام، الوكيل المساعد لشؤون المحافظات في وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية، أن إصدار موازنة المواطن وفر المعلومات والمعارف الضرورية للمواطنين الفلسطينيين حول عمل وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية، مما أثر على الصورة النمطية السائدة والتي تفيد بأن عمل الوزارة يقتصر على تحويل بعض المعونات النقدية وتوزيع بعض الطرود الغذائية. وقال:" انتقلنا من فكرة التخطيط لأجل الناس إلى اعتماد مشاركة الناس في التخطيط، فيما تأتي عملية إعداد موازنة المواطن انسجاماً مع التوجهات الاستراتيجية الجديدة للتنمية الاجتماعية وما ترتكز عليه من مقاربة تشاركية تهدف إلى تعزيز الروابط المحلية، كما أن موازنة المواطن مهمة في عملية التسويق الاجتماعي لبرامج الوزارة".
من جانب أخر، أوضح د. مأمون جبر، مدير عام التخطيط التربوي في وزارة التربية والتعليم العالي، أن إصدار موازنة المواطن الخاصة بالوزارة عكست الأهمية التي توليها الحكومة الفلسطينية لقطاع التعليم ومدى جديتها في إنفاذ أجندة السياسات الوطنية 2017-2022، والتي تخصص الغاية الثامنة للتعليم، حيث تقوم موازنة المواطن بعرض المخصصات المالية للسياسات الخاصة بالتعليم الواردة في الأجندة وتعزيز استعداد الوزارة للجلوس في حوار ونقاش مع المجتمع المدني حول تفاصيل موازنة التربية والتعليم العالي.
أما وزارة الحكم المحلي، فقال المدير المالي في الوزارة غسان دراغمة، أن تجربة إصدار موازنة المواطن ساعدت في نقل تجربة ووجهة نظر الوزارة بخصوص مؤسسات المجتمع المدني الفلسطينية من علاقة تتسم بالمنافسة والصدامية إلى مأسسة شراكة حقيقية، تسهم في تحقيق احتياجات المواطنين الفلسطينيين وتوسيع نطاق التفاعل ما بين الطرفين.
وقالت تمارا تميمي، منسقة مشروع "التمويل من أجل التنمية" في مؤسسة "مفتاح" أن الجولة الدراسية تأتي في إطار استدامة تمكين الوزارات الفلسطينية من تبني معايير الشفافية الدولية، إلى جانب رفد فرص التشبيك بين الوزارات والمؤسسات الفلسطينية ونظيراتها التونسية.
من جهتها أشارت لميس الحنتولي مديرة برنامج حوار السياسات والحكم الرشيد لدى "مفتاح"، إلى أن مؤسسة "مفتاح" تسعى من خلال هذه التدخلات إلى تطوير ودعم الكفاءات لدى الوزارات الفلسطينية، خاصة فيما يتعلق بقيادة التغيير في رسم السياسات المالية بما يخدم الصالح العام، ويعزز من بناء الثقة والحوار المهني ما بين المؤسسة الرسمية والمجتمع المدني، سعياً نحو الدفع باتجاه وجود فلسطين على قوائم المؤشرات الاقليمية والدولية في اعتماد معايير الحكم الرشيد وممارستها على الرغم من حالة عدم الاستقرار السياسي والأزمات المالية التي تمر بها الحكومة في فلسطين.
MIFTAH releases 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social and security sectors, including social justice and gender indicators
Date posted: April 04, 2023
By MIFTAH
MIFTAH recently released 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social sector (health, education, higher education and scientific research, social development and labor), and for the first time, the security sector (Ministry of Interior and National Security). The reports were based on annual financial data released by the Ministry of Finance in Palestine for 2021-2022 and on an accrual basis.
The data showed that the Ministry of Interior and National Security had the highest percentage of actual spending in 2022, accounting for 22.8% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.68 billion. This was a slight increase from the Ministry’s share in 2021. Meanwhile, actual spending on the education sector (Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research) stood at 21.5% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.48 billion. This was also an increase from the education sector’s share in 2021, which was 20.6% of public expenditures.
Moreover, actual spending on the Ministry of Health also increased in 2022, comprising 15% of overall public expenditures, at a sum of ILS2.4 billion. This was higher than in 2021, where its share was 14.4%. As for the Ministry of Social Development, actual spending was still low, amounting for 6.2% of overall public expenditures in 2022, compared to 5.8% in 2021. The Ministry of Social Development’s actual spending in 2022 was approximately ILS1 billion. As for the labor sector, actual spending on this sector in 2022 was 0.31% of overall public expenditures, while in 2021 it was 0.28%. Actual spending on the labor sector in 2022 was ILS50.1 million.
Upon review of actual spending reports of the targeted ministries from a gender and social justice perspective, it is clear that actual spending on the Ministry of Social Development does not coincide with the scope of its responsibilities as the forerunner of the social sector in Palestine, including its programs for combatting poverty and the protection of poor and marginalized social sectors. Moreover, non-compliance to the disbursement of payments for poor families within the CTP continued according to estimates, whereby only two of four installments for 2022 were disbursed, one at minimum value. This adversely affected the financial security of the most underprivileged and marginalized sectors of society, in addition to the insufficient estimated budget and actual spending on the social protection program, in spite of its importance in providing protection and social services to battered women, children, special-needs persons and the elderly.
The data also pointed to the low percentage of women working in the security sector, which stood at 6% of the total number of workers in this sector, while they comprised 46% of the civil sector. This shows a gap in actual spending on the security sector from a gender perspective, given that the lion’s share of actual spending in 2022 was on salaries and wages. Hence, women only benefited very little from these allocations, which were nearly ILS2.9 billion in 2022.
The data also indicated that the development expenditures for the Ministry of Labor were only ILS4.5 million in 2022, even though planned development expenditures were ILS32 million, which is much higher. This casts a shadow on gender-related programs and projects, which were allotted sizeable budgets within development expenditures, such as creating sustainable opportunities as alternatives for Palestinian men and women working in settlements, for which ILS10 million were earmarked.
Even though there was an increase in actual spending in 2022 at the targeted ministries in general, this increase was mainly concentrated on salaries and wages. In spite of the importance of providing a decent life for employees, there is still a need to increase spending on development expenditures, since they are at the forefront of developing government services, including the nationalization and institutionalization of various social services.
MIFTAH concludes town hall meetings on political participation and citizens’ rights for women and youth
Date posted: January 09, 2023
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 29/12/2022 – Within its efforts to promote democratic values and the peaceful transfer of power within the Palestinian government system, MIFTAH’s field advisory team completed over 100 town hall meetings in the second half of 2022. The meetings were held in coordination and cooperation with CSOs, LGUs and grassroots organizations and targeted women and youth in several West Bank and Gaza Strip districts. The objective of these meetings was to raise awareness among the electorate on the electoral system in Palestine and on civil society demands to increase women and youth participation in local and general elections as candidates and voters, on the premise that this boosts their presence in decision-making levels and involves them in public affairs.
The town hall meetings included several exchange visits between LGU members in the various districts. The women shared the experiences and challenges they faced after becoming council members. The meetings focused on the concept of citizenship within a broader definition of the various forms of political participation and the importance of involvement from youth and women in public life. They also pointed to the different forms of democracy and the main pillars of the democratic society Palestinians seek to create. The participants furthermore discussed the various forms of electoral systems and shed light on the gaps in electoral laws regarding the presence of women and youth.
The participants pointed to the importance of periodic legislative and presidential elections and the danger of the ongoing absence of the PLC on matters pertaining to civic peace. They also warned against the absence of oversight and accountability, maintaining that the defunct PLC has contributed to shrinking civic space and public freedoms and therefore, the ability or desire to become involved in political life, especially for women and youth. In most of the meetings, the participants also indicated that the absence of a regular democratic process in Palestine contributed to the overall exclusion of youth from participation and to the marginalization of the role of women in Palestinian political decision-making.
The town hall meetings stressed on the importance of pressing for legislative, presidential and local elections in all West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip districts. They also endorsed the demand for equality in electoral laws, starting with raising the women’s quota to a minimum of 30%, raising the candidacy age and lowering the threshold. They urged Palestinian factions to assume a key role in the process of inclusion for women and youth in the public sphere and to prevent the progression of tribalism in the democratic process. The attendees emphasized the importance of monitoring the performance of LGUs in their interaction with local communities and the consistency of their meetings. Finally, they said female council members must be given the opportunity to exercise their role in their respective councils as equals to their male counterparts.
MIFTAH holds town hall meetings on an annual basis as part of its awareness campaign on citizens’ rights and the promotion of the democratic approach for a peaceful transfer of power, in addition to the involvement of women and youth in elections as both candidates and voters. Each year, through these town hall meetings, MIFTAH aims to reach the widest possible segment of the electorate and the different social sectors in all parts of Palestine.
MIFTAH completes training workshop in the Gaza Strip on family protection and advocacy
Date posted: January 05, 2023
By MIFTAH
Gaza – 2/1/2023 – MIFTAH recently completed a training workshop on measures and regulations on family protection in the Gaza Strip. The workshop was part of MIFTAH’s strategic objectives to prioritize family issues in communities and to support local institutions in increasing awareness on citizenship and constitutional rights for Palestinian women and on combatting all forms of GBV and discrimination in Palestinian society.
The workshop’s objectives included providing institutions with important information on the legislations, laws and measures for family protection in effect in the Gaza Strip, in a bid to enhance the oversight role of CSOs in holding accountable official parties responsible for enforcing these measures and legislations. The training also included offering institutions the necessary mechanisms for managing digital and media campaigns to press for the ratification of laws and legislation that protect women’s rights.
The discussions focused on a number of points, including legal (including sharia law) rebuttals to claims from parties opposing legislation, including the Family Protection Law. They also discussed how applicable this law would be in the Gaza Strip once ratified by the President.
The participants unanimously agreed that they supported adoption of the law, giving no credence to the claims of more extreme elements in Gaza on the Family Protection Law. They called on MIFTAH to hold general, open meetings with the public to introduce them to the law and its importance, so that they could defend themselves from the extremist discourse surrounding it.
Opinions and impressions
One of the participants, Latifa Shatat, said such training workshops were crucial for every Palestinian, male and female. “It is great we are pressing for protection laws such as the Family Protection Bill. This law will have tremendous impact on society as a whole. I can say from experience as a social and mental health worker that protection is the most important element in our work, especially in cases involving women and children, who are the most vulnerable social sectors. I commend MIFTAH and anyone who participates in spreading a culture of nonviolence, protection, justice and equality.”
Meanwhile, Haifa Al Araj said the training offered important details about the Family Protection Law and also ways of conducting initiatives and activities that could produce positive results in mobilizing support it.
Another participant, Hatem Abu Ta’a, said the training was a new starting point for him as an institution director in terms of integrating the demand to implement the Family Protection Law in all advocacy and lobbying activities and programs. He said he became more aware of the impediments to the law’s implementation at the official and social level, saying, “This training reminds us to renew our calls to demand implementation and ratification of the law at the official level.”
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu Rabee said ratification of the Family Protection Law would be a huge step, for women and children especially. “This law will amplify women’s voices and their ability to access help with stronger and more supportive centers throughout the homeland. As a strong supporter of this bill, I want to stress on the importance of civil society institutions explaining the clauses in the bill pertaining to CEDAW and to also focus on working with parties that oppose the law in particular.”
The training workshop is part of MIFTAH’s “Policy dialogue and Good Governance” Program, which aims at influencing public policies and legislation in favor of protection for citizens’ rights in Palestinian society, based on the principles of social justice and respect for human rights.
