Palestinian Authority

Sound policy making and regulatory policy are critical for responsive, efficient government and public service delivery. This report analyses the institutional and policy framework for policy making and regulatory policy in the Palestinian Authority. It includes recommendations for improving the planning and co-ordination of policy making and legislative commitments and for enhancing regulatory and operational guidance for harmonised policy and law development. The first part provides a general analysis of the different stages of policy design, while the second part focusses more specifically on regulatory policy and related impact assessment tools.

Young people have demonstrated resilience to shocks and led positive change in their communities across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Young people (aged under 30) constitute more than half (55%) of the population across MENA, compared with 36% of the population across OECD countries. While challenges vary significantly across the region, youth unemployment rates are among the highest in the world, young people tend to express low trust in public institutions, and nearly four in ten live in fragile and conflicted-affected areas. The COVID-19 crisis has underscored the need to place the needs of young people at the centre of an inclusive and resilient recovery. To support this process, this report analyses current governance arrangements and practices across 10  MENA governments in three areas: 1) uniting all government stakeholders to implement a shared, integrated youth policy and deliver services to young people; 2) building administrative and institutional capacities to mainstream the perspectives of young people in policy making; and 3) encouraging the participation and representation of young people and youth stakeholders in public and political life.

Middle East and North Africa Investment Policy Perspectives highlights the considerable progress in investment policies made by the region’s governments over the past decade. Yet, the reform momentum needs to be sustained and deepened for the benefits of investment to be shared with society at large and for growth to be sustainable, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting global economic upheaval. The publication takes stock of investment policy trends and reforms in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, and Tunisia, and draws out common challenges, offering suggestions of reform priorities. It considers several dimensions of the policy framework that affect the investment climate and places strong emphasis on how foreign investment can help economies of the region improve their citizens’ lives. The publication serves as reference point, informing policymakers on specific areas as they continue work on leveraging investment to advance inclusive and sustainable growth.

يسلّط تقرير " تطلعات سياسات الاستثمار في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا" الضوء على التقدّم الملحوظ الذي حقّقته حكومات المنطقة في إصلاح سياسات الاستثمار خلال العقد الماضي. ولكن يحتاج زخم الإصلاحات هذه إلى الاستدامة والتعميق للتمكّن من مشاركة فوائد الاستثمارات مع المجتمع ككلّ، لا سيّما في سياق جائحة كوفيد-19 والاضطرابات الاقتصادية العالمية الناجمة عنها. من هنا، يقيّم هذا التقريرالتوجّهات السياساتية للاستثمار والإصلاحات في الجزائر، ومصر، والأردن، ولبنان، وليبيا، والمغرب، والسلطة الفلسطينيّة، وتونس، فيحدّد التحدّيات المشتركة ويقدّم اقتراحاتٍ حول أولويّات الإصلاح. كما يأخذ التقرير بالاعتبار مختلف الأبعاد السياساتية التي تؤثّر على مناخ الاستثمار، ويركّز بشكلٍ كبير على كيفيّة استخدام الاستثمار الأجنبي لمساعدة الحكومات على تحسين حياة مواطنيها. ويمكن أن يُعتبر التقرير مرجعًا لصانعي السياسات ليساعدهم في عملهم المستمرّ في جذب الاستثمارات التي تعزّز التنمية الشاملة والمستدامة.

La publication Perspectives des politiques d’investissement au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord met en exergue les progrès considérables accomplis en matière de politiques d’investissement par les gouvernements de la région tout au long de la dernière décennie. Toutefois, la dynamique de réforme devra se maintenir et se confirmer pour que les bénéfices liés à l'investissement soient partagés au sein de la société dans son ensemble et pour que la croissance soit durable, en particulier dans le contexte de la pandémie COVID-19 et des bouleversements économiques mondiaux qui en résultent. La publication fait le point sur les tendances et les réformes des politiques d'investissement en Algérie, Égypte, Jordanie, Liban, Libye, Maroc, dans l’Autorité palestinienne et en Tunisie. Elle identifie des défis communs, et propose des suggestions de priorités de réforme. Elle examine diverses dimensions du cadre politique affectant le climat de l’investissement et met fortement l’accent sur la manière dont les investissements étrangers peuvent aider les économies de la région à améliorer la vie de leurs citoyens. La publication sert de point de référence pour informer sur des points spécifiques les décideurs politiques qui s’attellent à mobiliser l’investissement pour une croissance inclusive et durable.

A set of clear standards of conduct for public officials can provide a critical tool for governments to promote openness, transparency and accountability in the public sector and eventually restore citizens’ trust in government. With a view to strengthening the ethics framework, the Palestinian Authority has undertaken significant progress to implement a Code of Conduct and Ethics for its civil service. This report analyses the underlining factors of an effective Code of Conduct in the overall framework of public governance reform to build open and transparent institutions. The report traces the evolution of the code from the first draft to the adopted document and discusses the final version against OECD recommendations and international good practices. The report provides actionable policy recommendations to operationalise the code towards a stronger governance framework for public sector integrity in the Palestinian Authority. The report points to the code’s strategic role alongside other measures to upgrade the ethics framework and sets an agenda to drive effective implementation in line with international principles of ethics and open government in the Palestinian Authority.

This section reviews the process for problem identification and assessment in the Palestinian Authority, with a particular focus on the systematic use of evidence and the deployment of innovative tools and methods.

This section provides a brief overview of the issue of regulatory compliance and enforcement in the Palestinian Authority as an integral part of regulatory policy.

This section provides a brief overview of the political and legal context of the Palestinian Authority informing the regulatory policy process.

This section describes the extent to which the Palestinian Authority has developed an explicit regulatory policy strategy, linking better regulation initiatives to specific policy goals. It recommends actions to enhance PA’s regulatory policy strategy.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has been facing several important challenges, from humanitarian emergencies, political stalemates, fiscal deficits and high wage bills to specific governance challenges relating to ministries’ weakened capacities for planning or the absence of institutional mechanisms to aptly co-ordinate legislative and policy planning. These challenges have contributed to the Authority’s longstanding difficulty in providing adequate public services, in engaging people in the decision-making process and, as a result, in promoting their trust in public institutions. According to a recent survey administered by the Arab Barometer, only 33% of Palestinians reported trusting their public institutions (compared to 51% on average in OECD Member countries).

This section reviews the processes in place in the Palestinian Authority for consultation and dialogue with affected stakeholders and the general public and to what extent the outcomes can influence policy makers. It describes and evaluates the regulatory and institutional framework for stakeholder engagement and the role of stakeholder engagement in ex ante and regulatory impact assessment.

This section examines whether the Palestinian Authority has put in place processes for monitoring and reviewing the existing stock of regulations and laws, including how it undertakes reforms to improve regulation in specific areas or sectors to reduce administrative burdens or evaluate the overall effectiveness of regulation.

This section examines institutional co-ordination for improved policy formulation in the Palestinian Authority. It provides an overview of the current institutional framework underpinning the legislative process, highlights the importance of legislative planning for co-ordinated policy formulation and assesses the work of institutions performing the quality control of new legislation.

This section assesses the processes in place in the Palestinian Authority for the policy formulation stage. It describes and evaluates the use of existing law-drafting guidance and stakeholder engagement practices and focuses on building capacity for sound policy formulation.