Coordination Council for Civil Work: Strengthening Role and Building National and Community Partnerships Among Various Parties to Face Current Challenges

SadaNews - The Coordination Council for Civil Work concluded its meeting yesterday in the city of Jericho, which lasted for two days with the participation of representatives from the Palestinian Network of Non-Governmental Organizations, the National Authority for Civil Institutions, and the Union of Charitable Societies, along with members from the Human Rights Organizations Council, the Forum Against Violence Against Women, and the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability (Aman).

The meetings addressed a series of fundamental issues, primarily the role of Palestinian NGOs amid the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, the unprecedented challenges facing civil work in Palestine, in addition to ways to enhance its effectiveness, and develop its national and community roles to meet the needs of the people during this critical stage. Participants emphasized the need to strengthen the role of the Coordination Council for Civil Work to keep up with developments and confront the responsibilities required by the current stage.

Council members stressed the importance of the efforts and interventions made by civil society organizations in the Gaza Strip during the period of genocide, and the necessity of documenting this experience to preserve national memory and enhance accountability.

They affirmed the importance of developing a clear vision to deal with the bodies imposed on the Palestinian reality in the Gaza Strip, including what is known as the "Peace Council" and the technocrat committee now referred to as the "Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip," and discussed mechanisms for integration with Palestinian stances and policies, emphasizing national, political, and geographic unity of the Palestinian territories between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

They asserted that the council plays its role in representing Palestinian NGOs across various paths and initiatives, reflecting the diversity in specializations, sectors, areas, and Palestinian civil society institutions.
They pointed to the importance of working to encourage the capacity building of grassroots institutions in the fields of good governance, transparency, enhancing a culture of oversight and accountability, and developing complaint mechanisms within NGOs, as well as participatory frameworks for regulating civil work in a manner that achieves integration, promotes collective action, and reduces non-constructive competition among institutions at times.

The Coordination Council for Civil Work confirmed its commitment to enhancing the role of civil society institutions as an active national partner, continuing collective efforts to defend the rights of the Palestinian people, preserving the independence of civil work, and strengthening its resilience in facing current political and humanitarian challenges.