01 January 1999

Gaza/West Bank: NV involvement began with the arrival of Japanese specialists to provide support for an agricultural extension education programme and a community development project. A UNV Programme Manager was recruited in September 1995 to lay the groundwork for an expanded programme. Since then, more than hundred of UNVs have served in the Palestinian Territories with a number of Palestinian Authority Ministries which benefit from the United Nations Development Programme's PAPP - or Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, local and international NGOs, UN agencies such as the WFP, WHO, UNICEF, whether under nationally executed projects, or the Argentina/ UNV White Helmets (WHI) initiative. Funds for these assignments have come from UNDP/PAPP, Argentina, Spain, Japan, and France.

In co-operation with local communities, UN volunteers are now fully engaged in social development and capacity building. The use of National UNVs (NUNVs) and community-based participatory approaches have been particularly relevant in Gaza, one of the most densely populated stretches of land in the world. The initiatives are addressed in particular to young Palestinian men and women from within their communities, including refugee camp dwellers.

The success of the use of nationals is attributed to the fact that Palestinians themselves possess the necessary qualifications, and are usually working directly with communities with which they are familiar. The requests for international UNVs have been made only when highly specialized volunteers are needed.

The White Helmets Initiative, which is an initiative funded by the Government of Argentina, however, does have a relatively large concentration of International (Argentinian) volunteers, who have served in a number of sub-sectors under the UNDP/ PAPP umbrella. During the current year UNV plans to consolidate and further expand its work, particularly its community-based participatory approaches, and the use of national UNVs. More programmatic focus will be sought on gender promotion, children in partnership with UNICEF, environmental protection and awareness, human rights, cultural heritage in partnership with UNESCO, urban planning and support to vulnerable groups.

UNV is currently involved in the following sectors and sub-sectors, which all come under UNDP's Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP):

Capacity-Building in the Palestinian Institutions

In the area of institution-building, UNV is providing specialists to work within Palestinian Authority Ministries, including the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Arts and Crafts Village in Gaza operated by the Gaza Municipality, the Football Federation and the Palestinian Conservatory of Music. This project is funded by UNDP Program of Assistance to Palestinian People.

    *Child Friendly City Project:
      The UNV programme in coordination with UNDP/PAPP decided, in order to make use of the Program Officer Empowering Mechanism (POEM) funding, to start with parallel funding from UNICEF, an innovative and replicable small scale initiative where UNVs can bring an added value. The Child Friendly City (CFC) project will be initiated in the City of Jericho at the beginning of 1999. A mixed team composed by an international UNV and a NUNV will advocate, coordinate and initiate activities for rendering Jericho a more CF place. The project will be starting with the arrival a fully funded Belgium UNV and the recruitment of a NUNV, and could be extended with further support from UNV/UNICEF, to other cities in the West Bank and Gaza. Moreover, this project reflects a worldwide interest and global cooperation between UNV and UNICEF on child friendly cities. The CFC project has already been piloted in some African cities.

    *Choose a Future:
      A community-based pilot project in empowering young women in the Palestinian rural territories. UNV and Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy (MEND), a local NGO, has developed a project seeking to foster the social development of young girls from rural and under-privileged urban areas in the West Bank through a long term course designed to build their self-esteem and self confidence as the foundation for personal growth. This project has been successfully appraised by the UNV Head Quarters in Bonn and is funded by the Government of Japan. It is planned to start in Jericho and other municipalities at the beginning of March 1999.

Transfer Of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals (TOKTEN)
TOKTEN Palestinian Programme

UNDP/PAPP is executing one of the largest TOKTEN programmes in the world, in the amount of $1.5 million, funded by the Government of Japan. Since its inception in 1995, eighty-two missions with Palestinian Authority Ministries, institutions, municipalities, NGOs, research centres and universities are ongoing, forthcoming, or have been completed. The TOKTEN modality has proved highly relevant and beneficial in many areas, addressing two prime challenges facing the Palestinian Authority today: developing the PA's priority areas in institution and capacity building and offering Palestinian professionals living abroad an opportunity for direct involvement in developing the PA's capacities.

To date, the TOKTEN Palestinian Programme has several accomplishments to its credit, including the establishment of a roster of potential user PA ministries and institutions with descriptions of their technical needs, and the updating of a roster of male and female Palestinian professionals living abroad and willing to undertake short term missions to the West Bank and Gaza. It also serves as a framework for partnership by creating new avenues for more people-to-people programmes. Agriculture, civil engineering, computer sciences, public finance, urban planning, waste water management, law and legislation are but a few areas in which TOKTEN is active.

UNV - White Helmets Initiative (WHI)

Background
General Assembly Resolutions 49/139B and 50/19 call on UNV and the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA), together with other members of the UN System, to encourage the use of White Helmets expertise. Such expertise, which is made available on a "stand-by team" basis from various national volunteer corps, supports activities in humanitarian emergency assistance, as well as in the transition from rehabilitation and reconstruction to development. The White Helmets Initiative is fully operational. It currently receives financial support from countries including Argentina, Germany and France. Funding for the WHI projects is channelled through a special window of the UNV's Special Voluntary Fund (SVF). The UNV programme, under the auspices of UNDP, serves as the operational arm of the initiative. The UNV/WHI Specialists are contracted by UNV under the same conditions of service as UN Volunteers. At country level, the UNDP Resident Representative ensures that activities undertaken by the UNV/WHI Specialists are integrated into the overall activities undertaken by the UN system and that their interventions are complementary to other projects. Technical supervision and support of UNV/WHI specialists is usually provided through the relevant government department.

UNV/WHI-PAPP Highlights of past and present activities: Within the context of the UNDP/PAPP framework, the first UNV/WHI project was launched in April 1996: "Pilot Engineering Support for the Municipality of Gaza" provides technical assistance to the Planning Department in Urban/Regional planning, installation and management of computerised databases and the introduction of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The National UNV Scheme was launched in the Gaza Strip with the WHI initiative (August 1996),through the recruitment of four Palestinian professionals as counterparts for the international specialists serving on the same project. This innovative modality has proved to be effective in promoting the "mixed team" approach to technical co-operation and contributes to institutional strengthening within the Municipality of Gaza.

Following the completion and the successful evaluation of previous UNV/White Helmets projects i.e. Support to Urban Planning in the Gaza Strip and Sport Training, the White Helmets Commission in close cooperation with the UNV Field Office, decided to develop and launch two new projects in 1999. These two projects are "Assistance in Urban Planning to the three Municipalities of the Bethlehem Area" in the broader context of the Bethlehem 2000 project; and "Assistance to Vulnerable Groups in the Palestinian Territories".

    *Project 1: "UNV/WH Support in Urban Planning to the Three Municipalities of Bethlehem Area in the Context of Bethlehem 2000"
      The WH/UNV has provided technical assistance and capacity building for the Municipality of Gaza since 1996. This methodology provided a practical framework to organize and coordinate actions at the municipal level by means of a strategy designed from a regional point of view, unifying concepts and sharing plans. Following a request from the three municipalities of Bethlehem area (Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour), the WHI has accepted to extend this technical assistance to the West Bank, particularly within the context of the celebration of the millenium anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. The project document has been finalized and went successfully through the PAC. Activities will start at the beginning of 1999.

    *Project 2: "UNV/WH Support to Vulnerable Groups Projects in Gaza and the West Bank"
      This project responds to several requests for capacity building and technical assistance in projects working with vulnerable groups. The WHI is exploring possibilities for co-funding with the Arab Gulf Fund (AGFUND) and other government or non-government agencies. The current project is a pilot phase intended to pave the way for future more comprehensive projects by providing concrete assistance to two local organizations, well established in the Palestinian Territories, and working with disabled children and youth: The Palestine Red Crescent Society and the Palestine Avenir Foundation which provides comprehensive assistance to disabled children and youth in Gaza. The project document has been approved by UNV/WH and will start in January 1999.

 Plans for the UNV programme in the Palestinian Territories

    *Establishment of Initial Corps of Archeological Cultural Heritage Volunteers:
      During the UN Interagency Meeting held at UNSCO (Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the West Bank and Gaza) at the beginning of October 1998, the UNV program had a chance to meet with representatives from UNESCO. In 1997, UNESCO and UNV concluded at a global level a Framework Agreement for a Pilot Action Plan on the establishment of "Cultural Heritage Volunteers". An initial project outline, which aims at operationalising this agreement through the placement of International Specialists and National Volunteers, has been developed and approved for funding through the UNV Special Voluntary Fund. This project, involving several countries,will assist in protecting and restoring archaeological sites through teams of international and national UNVs working on sites selected by UNESCO. The Palestinian Territories are one of the five piloting selected sites to receive a mixed team of UNVs. The UNVs will be serving on ongoing Heritage-related projects. UNESCO, the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism and UNV have selected the Hisham Palace in Jericho to launch the activities. This project will be co-funded by UNESCO and UNV.

The UNV Field Office is identifying new projects on the ground, in line with UNV's Strategy 2000, with chances to be funded through the UNV Special Voluntary Fund. Such projects need to fit into the three UNV thematic areas: Urban development, environment management or preventive and curative development. Examples of this proactive programming are as follows:

    *Improvement of Use of Pesticides in the West Bank:
      UNV has approached several well-established environmental NGOs in the West Bank. One of them, the Center for Agricultural Services (TCAS), in partnership with UNV, has developed a project outline to be submitted to the SVF. This one-year project will promote awareness of farmers and rural populations on pesticide hazards and improve farmers' skills in pesticides use. This will be done through mixed teams of Eco Volunteers providing technical assistance, training and education. The project outline was sent to UNV Headquarters which expressed its potential interest in it.

   *Environmental Conflict Resolution:
      UNV-PAPP is developing a request for SVF financial assistance through the Projest Development & Evaluation (PRODEVAL) mechanism for Environmental Conflict Resolution Workshops organized by the Israeli Palestinian Center for Research and Information (IPCRI). In north America and in Europe, there are a variety of institutions and individuals which concentrate on the resolution of environmental conflicts to solve disputes involving governmental authorities, special interest groups, environmentalists and the general public. In Israel and the Palestinian Territories no such expertise exists. Yet the need for it is apparent.

At all level there are significant disputes ranging from the division of scarce fresh water to the location of a new road at a local one. This project proposal is designed to strengthen, through a series of workshops, to facilitate the development of expertise among Palestinians and Israelis in environmental conflict resolution and to plan for the establishment of a long-term framework for making effective use of it. This project, if funded, will generate a national UNV position for 6 months. This initiative will allow UNV to pilot project in innovative areas and to define new role for UNVs. It is also an example of "confidence building" involving both Israelis and Palestinians.

    *Human Rights Promotion:
      The UNV-PAPP programme has approached several agencies working on human rights issues. "LAW, The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment" is a non-governmental organization based in the West Bank and dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAW is affiliated to the International Commissionof Jurists and the Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l'Homme. LAW is seeking assistance from UNV to develop mechanism to publish a newsletter from Palestinian detainees. A mixed team of UNVs would coordinate activities over a one year period. Such a proposal could also be submitted to the be appraised, by UNV's Projects Appraisal Committee.

UNV Programme Highlights

Mr. Jean-Luc Bories (France) is currently the Programme Manager based at the UNDP Jerusalem Office and assisted by Ms. Luna Abu Swaireh (Palestinian), Administrative and Programming Assistant. Ms. Isabel Camacho (Spain) is an architect with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquity, Ms. Mariam Diallo (France) is a Legal Assistant at the Birzeit University, Mr. Ricardo Carugati (Argentine) is coaching the Palestinian Football Team which is a participant in international competition and will be soon assisted by an Egyptian UNV. Ms. Deidre Russo (USA) is a Development Officer with an international NGO, Ms. Tsehaitsu Kassa (Ethiopia) is a nurse working on a Women Health project in Gaza with two national UNVs, Mr. Bojo Pinek (France) works as a psychologist in Bethlehem with the Red Crescent Society, Ms. Eliana Salto (Spain) is a lawyer working for Human Rights in Gaza, Mr. Grant Chamberlain (Autralia) is a musician trainer at the National Conservatory of Ramallah, Mr. Miguel Murado (Spain) is a External Relations Officer with the Palestinian Environment Authority, Mr. Youssef Barodi (Belgium) is a Project Assistant with UNICEF, Ms. Maria Mohammedi (Algeria) is the Director of the Arts and Crafts village in Gaza, Mr. Maki Sato (Japan) is an administrative officer with an international NGO in Jerusalem.