Assessing Donor-driven Reforms in the Palestinian Authority: Building the State or Sustaining Status Quo?

Figures & data

Table 1 Top 10 Donors of ODA 2008–2009

Top 10 donors of gross ODA 2008–2009	USD millions
1 United States	667
2 EU Institutions	601
3 UNRWA	476
4 Arab Countries	110
5 Norway	108
6 Spain	101
7 Germany	89
8 United Kingdom	82
9 France	77
10 Sweden	69

Source: OECD-DAC ‘Aid Statistics’ in Ibrahim and Beaudet (2012, 484).

Figure 1 Palestine GDP Growth Rate 1999–2013 Source: World Bank (2013b, 15).

Figure 2 Palestine Unemployment Rate 2006–2013Source: Trading Economics: www.tradingeconomics.com/palestine/unemployment-rate, accessed 11 November 2014.

Table 2 Fragile States Principles

1.	‘Take context as the starting point’: international actors must utilise political analysis to assess the constraints and opportunities of each particular fragile state context, differentiating between distinct types of fragile state scenarios and coming to a shared understanding of the appropriate type of intervention.
2.	‘Ensure all activities do no harm’: international actors must devise and put in place safeguards to ensure that aid does not aggravate or cause horizontal inequalities, public corruption or violations of human rights.
3.	‘Focus on statebuilding as the central objective’: international actors must be ‘focused on building the relationship between state and society’ by efforts to build both the ‘legitimacy and accountability of states’ and strengthening capacity for service delivery.
4.	‘Prioritise prevention’: develop and apply strategies that address the ‘root causes’ of conflict, coordinating with and strengthening the capacities of regional organisations, actors such as women, and cooperating with other international actors.
5.	‘Recognise the links between political, security and development objectives’: a ‘whole of government approach’ is urged, coordinating efforts and communication between different government agencies and functions.
6.	‘Promote non-discrimination as a basis for inclusive and stable societies’: the ‘voice and participation’ of all marginalised social groups should be included and strengthened in statebuilding and service delivery.
7.	‘Align with local priorities in different ways in different contexts’: alignment with government strategies is key; where government capacity is weak, international actors must work with alternative indigenous organisations and groups and avoid creating a service delivery system parallel to the public one.
8.	‘Agree on practical coordination mechanisms between international actors’: international actors must coordinate efforts as much as possible in all aspects of strategy, funding and implementation; it is further important to coordinate with local leadership, either inside or outside the government ‘to develop a shared analysis of challenges and priorities’.
9.	‘Act fast but stay engaged’: institutional change generally requires a minimum of 10 years; volatility in the level and type of donor engagement not only undermines lasting change, but is also destabilising to state institutions. Shifts in programme direction must be carried out with prior consultation and careful preparation.
10.	‘Avoid creating pockets of exclusion’: donors must coordinate efforts and aid flows in order to avoid ‘aid orphans’ with potentially destabilising impacts for statebuilding efforts.

Source: Adopted in 2007 by OECD-DAC ministers. Summarised from the OECD website: http://www.oecd.org/dacfragilestates/, accessed 13 June 2015.

Figure 3 Palestinian Priorities in 2013Source: Data published by PCPSR: http://www.pcpsr.org/sites/default/files/p49e.pdf, accessed 17 November 2014.

World Bank 2013b, ‘West Bank and Gaza: Area C and the Future of the Palestinian Economy’, World Bank Report No. AUS2922.

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