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PROLOGUE
PALESTINE EMERGING is an initiative of the Palestinian Reconstruction and Economic Partnership (PREP).
WHO WE ARE
We are a cooperative private-sector initiative. We represent the emerging consensus of a pro-bono coalition of over 100 leaders and experts drawn from a wide range of Palestinian and international civil-society groups, technical organizations and funding institutions.
This blueprint defines principles for the long-term economic reconstruction and development of Palestine.
PALESTINE EMERGING
Even as conflict continues, it is not too early to set out an inclusive and robust plan for economic reconstruction.
How can we create the most value for the greatest number of Palestinians? Which initiatives should be prioritized? How should we coordinate efforts so they can be more productive?
Planning for the future might seem premature; emergency recovery will be the priority. However, pragmatic short-term actions need a long-term vision to maximize their impact, improve coordination, and ensure provision of services and solutions in the right place and at the right scale. Major short-term investments will influence Palestine for generations to come. Without a long-term perspective, short-term actions may unintentionally undermine the potential of longer-term opportunities and the speed of sustainable recovery from a devastating starting point.
See also: Gaza Early Recovery, Re-Construction and Resilience Programme (UNDP 3/2024)
We believe long-term plans open new political horizons. They encourage stakeholders to support emerging security and governance frameworks. They define investible conditions that align donors’ involvement in ways that can benefit the Palestinian population, and they engage local populations to help them reinvent themselves.
PALESTINE EMERGING is an informed and ambitious framework intended to guide actions related to economic stabilization, infrastructure networks, social assets, economic growth, soft power, and community engagement. It offers a framework to help coordinate wider multi-stakeholder efforts. We anticipate our vision will serve a national agenda, stressing relationships between Gaza and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) as part of an integrated, independent Palestinian State.
POLITICAL PRECONDITIONS
We consciously choose not to address political preconditions or reiterate historical definitions. While we acknowledge these issues are relevant, others will address them elsewhere. We believe that informed, long-term understanding of economic needs and opportunities will contribute to political resolution and it is in this spirit that we have come together to produce PALESTINE EMERGING
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Plan early
- Define long-term strategies to inform short-term solutions.
Work together
- Coordinate strategies, planning, and implementation.
Capture quick wins
- Create identity and increase local engagement.
Explore a range of enabling options
- Consider alternative financing and delivery mechanisms.
Build on what has gone before
- Don’t duplicate efforts.
STABILIZATION and EARLY RECOVERY will last for years
PALESTINE EMERGING seeks to complement the immediate actions of humanitarian aid agencies with ideas for long-term local capability building and investment.
Food security
Meet the population’s basic needs.
Occupancy assistance
Deliver innovative solutions for interim camps/temporary housing.
Energy/water supply
Provide interim sources before independent supply can be developed.
Hazard removal
Focus on unexploded ordnance and debris clearance.
HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Immediate interventions at massive scale.
Building condition assessment
Address vertical assets and public realm.
Security (policing)
Address threats from opportunistic militias.
Definition of titles and rights
Address contested property.
Family reunification
Focus on social work and mental health.
Stakeholder and resource coordination
Align actions and priorities.