QADER and the Ministry of Local Government Hold the First Meeting of the Policy Paper Drafting Team on Disability Inclusion in Local Authorities

QADER for Community Development, in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, organized on Tuesday, 23 December 2025, an introductory meeting for the national team formed in coordination and cooperation with various ministries and organizations, with the aim of preparing a policy paper on disability inclusion within local authorities. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Local Government headquarters in Ramallah.

The meeting was opened by Mr. Sayel Hanoun, Director General of the Directorate of Local Government in Ramallah and Al-Bireh and the Ministry’s focal point for disability issues. The session was facilitated by Consultant Shawkat Al-Sarsour, who presented the objectives of the meeting, reviewed the achievements of the previous phase in assessing disability inclusion within local authorities, examined local government policies and strategies, and provided an in-depth analysis of disability inclusion in the local government sector in light of the alignment of Palestinian legislation with international conventions and their related obligations.

The national team includes representatives from the Ministries of Local Government, Social Development, Labor, Health, Education and Higher Education, Transport and Communications, Public Works and Housing, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, the Municipal Development and Lending Fund, the General Union of Persons with Disabilities, Ramallah Municipality, and the Yatta Municipal Community Center.

The development of this policy paper comes within the framework of the partnership between QADER and the Ministry of Local Government, as part of the second phase of the project “Strengthening Inclusion and Resilience of Local Communities in the West Bank,” implemented by QADER in partnership with CBM and funded by BMZ.