Completion of a Workshop on the Development of a Policy Paper on Disability Inclusion in Local Authorities

QADER for Community Development, in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, convened a workshop to develop a policy paper on disability inclusion in local authorities over two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10–11 February 2026, at Oasis Hotel in Jericho. The workshop brought together members of the national team formed by the Ministry of Local Government, in coordination and cooperation with several relevant ministries and institutions. 

Participants included representatives from the Ministries of Local Government, Social Development, Labor, Health, Education, Transport and Communications, Public Works and Housing, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Association of Palestinian local authorities, the General Union of Persons with Disabilities, Ramallah Municipality, and the Yatta Municipal Community Center. 

On the first day, the workshop addressed the conceptual and legal framework and international standards for disability inclusion in the local governance sector. Discussions covered disability concepts and models and their relationship to the human rights system, the relevant national legislative framework, and the State of Palestine’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The sessions also examined the principle of the supremacy of international conventions and the unity of the legal system, leading to an emphasis on inclusion as a cross-sectoral institutional approach. In addition, the Theory of Change was presented as a general framework for strengthening inclusion within local authorities, alongside a review of the findings of an assessment of the status of inclusion in 15 local authorities in the West Bank, highlighting key institutional and organizational gaps and challenges. 

Discussions on the second day focused on roles, responsibilities, and enforcement pathways within the local governance sector, including an analysis of intersections between the Local Authorities Law No. (1) of 1997, the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities No. (4) of 1999, and related legislation, as well as the legal status of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in light of the decision of the Supreme Constitutional Court regarding the supremacy of international agreements. The sessions also addressed recent developments related to the “List of Issues” submitted by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to the State of Palestine and analyzed existing legal and regulatory gaps. 

Extended sessions were dedicated to identifying gaps, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and discussing policy interventions to strengthen the organizational and institutional structures of local authorities through an inclusive approach, in preparation for drafting a comprehensive policy paper with clear and actionable recommendations. 

The workshop concluded with a general reflections session that outlined the next steps, follow-up mechanisms, and assigned responsibilities. The final policy paper will be completed and submitted for adoption in partnership with the relevant stakeholders, as part of the efforts of the Ministry of Local Government and QADER to advance the inclusion of persons with disabilities in public policies and local services, thereby reinforcing the principles of justice, equality, and equal opportunities within the local governance system in Palestine.  

The development of the policy paper comes within the framework of the strategic partnership between QADER and the Ministry of Local Government, and as part of the project Enhancing the Inclusion and Resilience of Local Communities in the West Bank, implemented by QADER in partnership with CBM International, with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).