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.
To View the Full Report as PDF (562 KB)
Source: UNFPA
