Advocacy for the Promotion of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Palestine

The First Annual Conference on the PNA’s Budget 2004

TOWARDS BROADER PARTICIPATION

download the conference minutes (PDF)

On Wednesday and Thursday, December 17-18, 2003 the Mezan Center for Human Rights sponsored and organized a conference on the Palestine National Authority’s 2004 Budget. This conference followed a seminar held on March 26, 2003 on the PNA’s yearly budget, attended by forty-three people representing NGOs, the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), selected ministries, academics, community figures and lawyers. Last spring’s conference aimed at shedding light on the details of the PNA’s budget, enhancing the role of civil society in determining the budgeting process, and ensuring transparency and accountability in all budgeting procedures. As a result, the participants stressed the need for more comprehensive and professional work on the budget. Members of the Al Mezan Center suggested conducting a yearly conference to be followed up by a variety of activities that would concentrate on economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights related issues, e.g., education, health, housing, welfare, labor, etc. This kind of activity would be in harmony with both official and public efforts related to reforming the PNA’s institutions. An Advisory Committee for the Conference was formed to plan and advise the team on the execution of the conference.

This conference was held at the Commodore Hotel-Gaza and focused on the PNA’s 2004 annual budget. The aim of the conference was to enhance transparency and public involvement in the budgetary process by bringing government officials and others either directly or indirectly involved in this work to discuss and debate budgetary policies. The first conference’s slogan was “Towards Broader Participation” –of civil society in deciding budget priorities. The conference was held parallel to the PLC’s submission of, and debate over, the draft budget for 2004 so that recommendations for its adoption could be made prior to its approval.

The conference consisted of four sessions each led by a panel of three speakers and followed by open questions and answers. A session for the conference recommendations was held before the closing remarks. Government ministers, PLC members and experts on the budget moderated each panel. Special sessions were assigned for the ministers of Finance, Education and Health to speak about the sectoral analysis of the budget. An audience of around 200 people of differing backgrounds as well as the local media attended on both days. In addition, the conference attracted the attention of various international institutions, including the EU, the WHO, the ARD and United Nations bodies.

Al Mezan views this conference as one of many tools for its work on the promotion of ESC rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It was recommended that the Center maintain continual discussion with, and sponsor a series of workshops for, the local community and institutions throughout the coming year to follow up the results and recommendations of the conference.

Advisory Committee of the Conference:

- Dr. Kamal Sharafi, PLC Member and Head of the Al Mezan’s Board of Directors.
- Mr. Issam Younis, Director of the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights.
- Mr. Talal Awkal, Academic and Media expert.
- Mr. Salah Abdul Shafi, Economics Expert, Executive Director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP)
- Mr. Mahmud Abu Rahma, Coordinator of the Training and Mass Communication at Al Mezan.
- Lawyer Adnan Al Hajjar, Coordinator of the Legal Aid Unit at Al Mezan.