United Nations Development Programme

UNDP/PAPP Approach

UNDP/PAPP's work is firmly rooted in the official Palestinian Authority (PA) Reform and Development Plan (PRDP), which it has supported since its inception. This ensures that UNDP/PAPP projects and programmes respond directly to the development priorities identified by line ministries, as well as civil society institutions. In all these activities, UNDP/PAPP has been invited by its Palestinian counterpart institutions to share its capacity and experience as partners in implementation.

UNDP/PAPP is committed to deliver effective programming that supports the advancement of Palestinians, building on their potentials, while supporting the institutional capacities to address the challenges of the oPt. UNDP/PAPP will focus on poverty reduction and livelihoods recovery as well as capacity development of Palestinian institutions. UNDP/PAPP, while focusing on development, will retain its flexibility and responsiveness to urgent early recovery, with a commitment to ensure results and impact, guided by the right approach.

UNDP/PAPP delivers through the Direct Execution (DEX) modality, which takes into account the institutional capacities, the legal setting and evolving situational context. This has been effective in addressing the socio economic needs of the Palestinian people, which is UNDP/PAPP’s primary mandate, as stipulated by the General Assembly. 

UNDP/PAPP works in partnership with national authorities, civil society, the private sector, the international community and UN sister agencies. UNDP/PAPP supports the UN Resident Coordination function as well as national efforts to achieve the MDGs. UNDP/PAPP advocates human development principles through the production of the Palestinian Human Development Report (PHDR) and other relevant analyses.

Focus on people's needs

UNDP/PAPP efforts focus on areas vital to Palestinian well-being and social and economic development, such as water, health and education facilities, social services, infrastructure and road building and rehabilitation, agriculture and rural development. Many of these activities are developed from a participatory community-based prioritization of local needs.

Using local resources

Most UNDP/PAPP programmes are labor-intensive to help deal with chronically high unemployment and declining real incomes. In addition, and further strengthening the Palestinian economy, UNDP/PAPP relies on the expertise of private sector Palestinian firms rather than seeking foreign consultants.