Supporting State Building Efforts
However and despite significant achievements and success attained in the municipal sector during the past years, municipalities continue to face an uphill challenge hardened by severe constraints, including limited institutional capacity and financial stability.
Conclusive to supporting the municipal sector in Palestine, Denmark also recognizes that a large number of Palestinian communities residing in Area C of the West Bank continue to face progressive limitations in accessing basic and essential services. This has significantly hampered their quality of life and consequently, it remains a dire challenge for municipalities to provide the needed services and even basic infrastructure critical for improving the standard of living for all Palestinian citizens in that area.
Denmark will continue to support the development of Area C in the West Bank to contribute to fostering for more resilient communities, preserving a Palestinian presence, and to safeguard for a contiguous Palestinian territory which is essential for the viability of a future Palestinian State.
Alignment with the Palestinian Authority’s National Development Plan
Denmark’s assistance towards State Building addresses three out of the four Strategic Objectives of the Palestinian National Development Plan. These include good governance; institution building and infrastructure. With regard to good governance and institution building, Danish assistance through this initiative focuses on addressing the following sector-goals:
- More effective, efficient and transparent management and allocation of public finances;
- Municipal institutions throughout the West Bank and Gaza are more capable of a better public service delivery;
- More effective delivery of, and equitable access to, public services
Danida supported programmes
Municipal Development Programme (MDP)
The MDP is a multi-donor funded programme which was developed in cooperation between EU member states, the World Bank, the Ministry of Local Government and the Municipal Development and Lending Fund.
This long-term national level programme, established in 2009, will provide support for the third phase of the Municipal development Programme (MDP III), building upon MDP I and II aims to improve municipal governance processes and practices in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
This long standing programme has and will continue to contribute towards fostering strengthened municipal institutions in order for them to become more accountable to their people with the long term vision of all Palestinian communities able to enjoy improved access to services and essential infrastructure.
Denmark is the lead donor in this area and serves as co-chair at the Municipal Development and Local Governance Sector Working Group.
Development of Area C in the West Bank
Denmark supports the program on “Land Development and Basic Infrastructure in Area C” through channelling funds to the EU. The support provided comes amid the EU-program, and other Area C interventions, as a response to the EU Council Conclusions of May 2012.
In addition an integral to Denmark’s support to Area C, is further assistance in support of an existing Consortium formed in 2015 established initially to strengthen the continued presence of Palestinian communities in Area C. Through this Consortium, Denmark collectively with others EU member states intends to continue to advocate for development efforts in Area C to ensure local communities are better able to sustain their livelihoods through improved access to basic services and infrastructure.