Editorial

By: Hafedh Chekir, UNFPA Representative

This fourth issue of the UNFPA newsletter coincides with the 20th anniversary of UNFPA action in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Following its first ten years of project-based work, UNFPA began implementing an action programme in 1996 that sought to respond to Palestinian needs in the area of population and development. It also launched an emergency assistance programme that supported efforts by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and other national institutions to maintain their services and respond to the emerging needs of the population.

UNFPA completed two programme cycles during this period.

UNFPA notes significant achievements over its twenty years of work in the OPT. It has contributed to the development of reproductive health strategies, upgraded the provision of services, contributed to building an information system based on the 1997 census, proposed different population scenarios to be used as planning tools, and helped to build the capacity of PA institutions and civil society.

Since the outbreak of the current Intifada, UNFPA has adopted a strategy of combining the developmental programmes with an emergency aid programme. In the emergency programme, UNFPA has provided basic supplies and reproductive health commodities to clinics and hospitals and offered training to service providers in emergency obstetrics. In addition, UNFPA has continuously advocated in all international and regional arenas for the ending of the siege imposed on the Palestinian people and for ensuring that Palestinians have access to primary health care, education and other basic humanitarian services.

In spite of the many achievements, much still needs to be done.

UNFPA will continue to use its valuable experience and strong partnership with Palestinian institutions to work toward the achievement of sustainable development of the Palestinian society within the Palestinian Midterm Development Plan (MTDP) and as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This will be the basis for the third programme cycle 2006-2009.

MDGs include eradicating poverty and hunger, ensuring universal primary education, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development. MDGs include another goal of extreme importance for achieving the above seven goals, which is to promote gender equality and empower women.

Ensuring women and youth access to education, reproductive health and economic opportunities is a threefold intervention of strategic importance for achieving MDGs.

The elimination of violence against women is another important factor. Investment in these areas would have an immediate outcome that would also yield long-term results benefiting future generations.

In planning for its third programme cycle, UNFPA adopted the principle of effective partnership. Different national sectors have been involved in setting out the priorities in the areas of population and development, reproductive health and gender equality.

These priorities were based on the country situation analysis carried out by a specialized national team in cooperation with a national steering committee composed of various line ministries, NGOs and local universities and chaired by the Ministry of Health (MOH). In addition, a number of consultative meetings and workshops with the partners helped to identify activities for the programme cycle.

In drafting its programme of action for the next four years, UNFPA employed the following strategies:

• Building on the achievements made during the two previous cycles;
• Providing strategic support at the programme and policy level in the areas of population and development, reproductive health, gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• Maintaining a balance between emergency and development needs of the population by using a rights-based approach, ensuring long-term sustainability of activities within the MTDP and linking emergency relief activities with development to promote the process of Palestinian state-building;
• Addressing Palestinian youth as a main element in development. With appropriate investment in their development, young people can actively contribute and become an important asset rather than a responsibility for society.

Throughout the past twenty years, UNFPA has based its development and emergency programmes and projects on the needs of the Palestinian society. Achievements made by UNFPA in the OPT would have not been possible without donor contributions.

Therefore, we would like to extend our appreciation to all donors and partners, whether they are governmental institutions, NGOs or international agencies, for their important role in assisting UNFPA to effect positive change in the lives of many Palestinians.

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