Development cooperation

Development cooperation in Jerusalem.

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The priority objective of Belgian Development Cooperation is sustainable human development. It must achieve this objective by reducing poverty and inequity within a context of partnerships.. It must also generate and increase the Belgian public's support for North-South solidarity and our cooperation policy.  The Sustainable Development Goals, the principle of leaving no-one behind and the humanitarian commitments through the grand bargain are central elements of our policy. 


Cooperation programme

The Belgian development Cooperation has a close partnership with the Palestinian Authority since May 2000. The General Agreement was signed in Ramallah on 12 November 2001.

The new cooperation Portfolio 2022-2026 was signed on 9th of March 2022 for 70 million € and consists of two important pillars : ‘Youth Empowerment’ through improved education and entrepreneurship for youth and ‘Climate and Environment’.

The implementation of the Development Cooperation agreement is carried-out by the Belgian Development Agency, ENABEL. 

Beyond the bilateral aid program some supplementary contributions are also attributed to:

  • U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA): an important yearly Belgian contribution of about 8 to 10 million EUR
  • OCHA, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
  • Emergency funds via Belgian NGO’s or international NGO’s
  • Programs with Belgian NGO’s, universities and civil partner organisations
  • Local Palestinian civil society organisations
  • Conflict prevention and security (mainly EUPOL COPPS)
  • Aid from Belgian regions, communities and decentralized entities.

With a yearly global aid disbursement of about 30 million EUR, Palestine ranks fourth on the list of Belgian partner countries (after DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi).

More detailed information can be found on the ODA-tracker of the Belgian development cooperation.

Peacebuilding grants

The Peace Building Unit manages the award procedure for funding projects in the “Peace Building” budget of the FPS Foreign Affairs.

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