The Decentralized Cooperation Program constitutes a strategic framework led by APLA to consolidate the position of Palestinian municipalities as active actors on the international stage and to strengthen their developmental and representative roles through cooperation grounded in local priorities and shared commitments.
International partnerships are no longer a secondary option; they are a core instrument for strengthening LGU resilience, building institutional capacities, and expanding Palestinian influence in regional and global arenas. In a complex political environment, decentralized cooperation offers innovative, flexible diplomatic pathways driven by municipalities from the local to the global level.
Program Vision
Palestinian municipalities that are active and influential internationally, equipped with partnership and cooperation tools, contributing to justice and sustainable development, and assuming a national representative role that reflects the voice and cause of the Palestinian people globally.
Strategic Orientation of the Program
The program is based on four interconnected strategic approaches:
- Redefining international partnerships as developmental and political tools
Moving from symbolic relations to meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships grounded in clear local priorities. - Institutionalizing international cooperation within LGUs
Supporting municipalities in building internal institutional structures that ensure continuity beyond changes in councils and align partnerships with municipal strategies. - Unifying the Palestinian voice internationally
Enabling municipalities to represent the Palestinian cause professionally and clearly through a rights-based, development-oriented civic narrative. - Building a national and local support network
Strengthening Palestinian–Palestinian twinning and internal partnerships based on solidarity and knowledge exchange, establishing a national model for decentralized cooperation.
Strategic Orientation of the Program
The program is built around four interconnected strategic approaches:
Redefining international partnerships as developmental and political tools | Moving beyond symbolic relations toward meaningful, mutually beneficial cooperation based on clear local priorities, strengthening municipalities’ leadership in advancing development and resilience agendas.
Institutionalizing international cooperation within LGUs | Supporting municipalities in establishing internal institutional mechanisms to manage partnerships and decentralized cooperation, ensuring continuity beyond changes in municipal councils and aligning international engagement with municipal strategic planning.
Unifying the Palestinian voice internationally | Empowering municipalities to represent the Palestinian cause with professionalism and clarity through a rights-based, development-oriented civic narrative within global municipal and city networks.
Building a national and local support network | Strengthening integration among Palestinian municipalities through internal partnerships and Palestinian–Palestinian twinning, based on solidarity and knowledge exchange, and establishing a national model for decentralized cooperation.