Washington, July 8, 2010 -- The World Bank Board of Directors approved today a grant of $2 million to support NGOs in the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinian NGO IV project supports groups providing valuable services and advocacy for the poorest Palestinians. The grant is part of the World Bank’s efforts to engage with civil society and support community-based initiatives.
“Civil society is a key element of a viable state. Palestinian NGOs are key to the provision of critical basic services to those who need them most,” said Mariam Sherman, World Bank Country Director for the West Bank and Gaza. “Our priority today is to assist NGOs in sustaining these services and effectively integrating them in PA state building efforts.”
The World Bank has been supporting Palestinians NGOs since 1997. Long-term engagement has contributed to extraordinary institutional development. The Palestinian NGO Code of Conduct, for example, established under the third World Bank NGO project, is the only one of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa Region and sets high standards of governance, accountability and transparency. To date, over 500 NGOs have joined as signatories.
Partnering with the Bank in the PNGO project are the NGO Development Center for implementation and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which will provide $6.25 million in additional funding.
