QADER and the Ministry of Local Government Discuss Adoption of Policy Paper to Strengthen Disability Inclusion in Local Authorities

QADER for Community Development held a meeting yesterday, Monday, 14 September 2026, with the Minister of Local Government, Dr. Eng. Sami Hijjawi, to discuss the final draft of the policy paper on strengthening disability inclusion in local authorities and the next steps toward its adoption and launch.

The policy paper was developed under the leadership and supervision of the Ministry of Local Government, in partnership with QADER, through a participatory national process involving a national team composed of representatives from the Ministries of Local Government, Social Development, Labour, Health, Education and Higher Education, Transport and Communications, Public Works and Housing, and Telecommunications and Digital Economy. The team also included representatives from the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities, the Municipal Development and Lending Fund, the General Union of Persons with Disabilities, organizations representing persons with disabilities, representatives of several local authorities, as well as experts and specialists in disability inclusion.

The national team served as a participatory framework for discussing the status of disability inclusion within the local government sector, analyzing legislative, policy, and institutional gaps, and contributing to the formulation of proposed policy interventions. This process aims to strengthen national ownership of the policy paper and pave the way for its implementation through cooperation among the relevant stakeholders.

Dr. Sami Hijjawi emphasized the importance of the policy paper, noting that it reflects the Ministry’s commitment to the rights of persons with disabilities and to integrating a disability inclusion approach into the plans and policies of the local government sector. He stressed the importance of moving disability inclusion from a general normative framework toward measurable and implementable institutional practice, aligned with the requirements of good governance and the international obligations of the State of Palestine.

For her part, Lana Bandak, Director General of QADER, highlighted the importance of the policy paper as a practical framework for institutionalizing disability inclusion within the work of local authorities. She stressed the need to translate the proposed policy interventions into measurable and applicable procedures, reaffirming QADER’s readiness to provide the necessary technical support to the Ministry and local authorities throughout the implementation process.

The meeting was attended by the Ministry’s Undersecretary, Mr. Raed Moqbel, and the Director General of Local Government in Ramallah and Al-Bireh and the Ministry’s representative on the national team, Sayel Hanoun. Representing QADER were Programs Director George Mansour and Project Manager Eng. Rawan Shawar.

The policy paper is scheduled to be launched next month and is expected to serve as a national reference for institutionalizing disability inclusion within the local government sector. It aims to translate legal and policy commitments into practical measures and procedures at both the Ministry and local authority levels, thereby establishing inclusion as an integral component of good governance, social justice, and sustainable development.