2009.02.09

On 9^th February 2009 during the meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski with the Palestinian National Authority Minister of Foreign Affairs Riad Al-Malki a framework agreement on development co-operation between the Polish and Palestinian MFA was signed.

The agreement specifies the general terms and forms of development co-operation that comprise:

a) technical assistance, training, transfer of specialist know-how, consultancy and other services rendered to the Palestinian authorities, corporations, agencies and other organizations;
b) supplies of goods, equipment, materials and services;
c) scholarships granted to the Palestinian candidates for visits, study or training in Poland;
d) contributions to the budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA);
e) financing of development and/or emergency projects that are included in the Palestinian national strategic plans;
f) any other forms of co-operation or assistance agreed in the future by the Parties.

The cooperation will be focused on one or more of the areas listed below:

a) emergency, humanitarian and social interventions (i.e. provision or rehabilitation of shelter);
b) human resources development (including youth development and civil society building);
c) community development projects (i.e. rehabilitation of infrastructure, agriculture and food security, health care);
d) cooperation for the preservation of the cultural heritage;
e) any sector agreed on in the future by both Parties.

The Parties have agreed to establish a joint Steering Committee designated to supervise the implementation of the joint projects, evaluate their results, contribute to the selection of the joint projects, as well as review the feasibility of projects and, if needed, propose alternative projects and activities.

The agreement proves a strong Poland's engagement in the development activities implemented in the Palestinian Autonomy throughout the last years, as well as the even better and more effective Polish-Palestinian development co-operation. This has been the first document of this kind signed between Poland and the development cooperation partner - the beneficiary of the Polish aid.  

See the document: Framework agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland on development co-operation