APLA Organizes the Launch Workshop of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Hub

As part of its ongoing efforts to promote knowledge exchange and collaboration among Palestinian local authorities, the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) organized a workshop to launch the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Hub. The event brought together representatives from 26 local governments across various governorates and aimed to provide an innovative institutional mechanism for knowledge sharing and joint municipal action. The platform supports efforts to localize the SDGs at the municipal level and enhances the technical and professional capacities of local authorities.

The workshop opened with a presentation by Dr. Ahmed Jaber, APLA’s SDG Projects Officer, who outlined the concept and motivations behind the platform. He explained its role as a key component within APLA’s broader knowledge platform system, designed to promote continuous improvement in local government performance through practical tools based on self-assessment, phased planning, and experiential learning. Dr. Jaber also reviewed APLA’s broader efforts in SDG localization.

Eng. Amneh Abu Sharar, Head of the City Beautification Department at Al-Bireh Municipality, presented a historical overview of the evolution of the sustainable development concept, highlighting major milestones such as the Stockholm Conference, the Rio de Janeiro Summit, the Millennium Summit, and the 2015 UN Summit. She analyzed the guiding principles behind the SDGs and provided a detailed comparison with the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Eng. Fida Azem, Director of the Engineering Department at Beitunia Municipality, discussed the interlinked dimensions of the SDGs through the lens of the five key elements—People (justice and human dignity), Planet (environmental sustainability), Prosperity (inclusive economic growth), Partnership (international cooperation), and Peace (stability and institutions). She emphasized the importance of the Palestinian context in localizing global goals.

Dr. Amal Hodhod, Director of the Strategic Planning and Economic Development Unit at Nablus Municipality, presented an overview of APLA’s SDG Localization Roadmap and showcased Nablus Municipality’s experience in aligning the SDGs with its daily operational plans and development programs. She shared practical examples illustrating how global goals can be translated into measurable and locally actionable plans.

Ahmad Attieh, Director of the Statistical Monitoring Department at the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), conducted an interactive training session on indicators and metadata. He focused on mechanisms for measuring SDG progress, the importance of formulating clear indicators based on accurate data, and the practical challenges municipalities face in this regard.

Eng. Ohood Enaya, APLA’s Programs and Policies Manager, summarized APLA’s upcoming strategic awareness campaigns, which will be implemented in partnership with local governments to highlight municipal contributions toward sustainable development and to enhance community participation. These campaigns will include media and virtual initiatives under slogans such as “Toward a Sustainable Future,” “Development Begins Locally,” and “Partnership for Development for All,” aiming to inspire local action and unify the development narrative across municipalities.

This workshop is part of the “Local Authorities Knowledge Exchange Platforms” initiative, implemented in partnership with the GIZ Local Governance Reform Program (LGRP). The initiative includes six main thematic platforms: Engineering and Planning, Financial Management, Public Relations, Innovation and Creativity, Sustainable Development Goals, and Village Councils.

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