News Release
Statement of the Quartet
Task Force on Palestinian Reform
Rome,
December 11, 2003
The
Task Force on
Palestinian Reform—composed
of representatives of the Quartet (US, EU, Russia and the UN Secretary General),
Norway, Japan, Canada, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund—met
in Rome on December 11, 2003, to review the status of continuing Palestinian reform
efforts. Chaired by the EC, the meeting reviewed progress achieved since the last
Task Force meeting in February 2003. It discussed these developments, as well
as prospects for further progress, with high-level
Israeli and Palestinian delegations. The Task Force considers this work critical
to building the foundations of a viable, independent and democratic Palestinian
State living side by side in peace and security with Israel, as envisaged in the
Quartet’s Roadmap to
Middle East peace.
The
Task Force recognized the establishment of the office of a Palestinian Prime Minister
as a major political reform achievement in 2003. It also commended the significant
efforts by the Palestinian side in the fields of structural administrative, financial
and economic reform. The Finance Minister now publishes the Palestinian Authority’s
(PA) budget on the Internet, including monthly spending reports. Commercial monopolies
have been audited, state security courts abolished and the workings of the PA
Cabinet are being comprehensively reformed. The Task Force commended the 2004
Draft Budget Law, which will further consolidate Palestinian finances under the
PA Ministry of Finance, augmenting the accountability and transparency of PA fiscal
management. The
Palestinian efforts to establish a centrally coordinated and pro-active approach
to reform, through the PA Reform Coordination Support Unit under the auspices
of the Prime Minister, are also welcomed. Equally, the establishment of the Palestinian
National Reform Committee, composed of representatives from the government, the
legislature, the business community and civil society, is recognized as a positive
step towards ensuring broader Palestinian public participation in setting and
supervising reforms and towards developing an even more comprehensive reform agenda.
At
the same time, the Task Force expressed deep concern that the reform process has
been largely stalled over the past four months. Many key reform benchmarks have
not been met, and require the urgent attention of the PA. The extension of direct
deposit salary payments to all PA personnel, without exception, should be a top
priority; the donor community considers this measure to be a bellwether of Palestinian
will and PA empowerment. Other key reform measures that must be addressed include
the overdue submission of the PA Auditor-General’s report to the Palestinian Legislative
Council (PLC) according to the Basic Law, the need to make the many non-ministerial
government agencies accountable to the PLC and the adoption of laws that are key
to the reform process, including for an efficient market economy.
Looking
ahead, the Task Force welcomed the recent establishment of a new Palestinian cabinet
under Prime Minister Qurie and its declared commitment to reform as a top priority.
It examined the new Cabinet’s reform plan presented by the Palestinian delegation
and stressed the need for concrete, rapid and visible results on key reform areas
in the coming period in order to re-establish momentum recently lost. Focus should
be on further progress related to financial accountability, continued judicial
reform and the passing of priority legislation. The PA needs to strengthen the
separation of powers by establishing an independent and fully functioning judiciary
that obtains the confidence of the public by providing a viable mechanism for
dispute resolution and by urgently improving the effectiveness and the speed of
the legislative process. In pursuit of establishing a viable Palestinian state
respecting fundamental democratic principles, the rule of law and human rights,
the reform process will also need to challenge internal resistance to change.
In this regard, the Task Force noted the Palestinian objective to hold elections
by summer 2004, stressed the need for an immediate passage of the election law
following consideration and debate in the PLC and encouraged all related preparatory
activities to be advanced by the concerned Palestinian authorities, with appropriate
facilitation from the Israeli side, in accordance with the Road Map.
The
Task Force acknowledged that progress on reform is enhanced by a favorable security
and political context, as attested by the positive progress made during the period
of relative quiet under the government of Prime Minister Abbas in the summer of
2003. The Task Force also observed that success in the reform process is impossible
without the active facilitation of the Israeli Government. The Task Force welcomed
the continued regular Israeli transfers of Palestinian tax revenues to the PA.
At the same time, it strongly encouraged Israel to promote Palestinian reform
efforts better in accordance with the Road Map. While acknowledging Israel’s legitimate
security concerns, there was consensus in the Task Force that Israel can do much
more. The reluctance to grant predictable and long-term freedom of movement to
governmental and non-governmental Palestinian reformers, as well as parliamentarians,
combined with continued access obstacles for donor staff working on supporting
reform, represents a significant impediment to further progress on the PA’s reform
agenda. The Task Force on Palestinian Reform urged Israel to take immediate steps
to allow such freedom of movement and also to remove access obstacles encountered
by donors.
The
Task Force concluded by expressing its expectation that renewed commitment by
all parties to advance Palestinian reforms should result in progress over the
months ahead and underscored that a favorable security and political environment
would greatly enhance the prospects for achieving visible results. The Task Force
expressed its continued willingness to support the Palestinian reform agenda through
donor assistance and effective monitoring.
The
Task Force on Palestinian Reform was established in July 2002 under the auspices
of the Quartet, to monitor and promote implementation of Palestinian reform and
guide the international donor community in its support for the Palestinian reform
agenda. Since its formation, the Task Force has worked with its counterparts to
further develop and adapt the reform agenda, which highlights the Parties’ commitments,
establishes benchmarks, identifies obstacles to reform and proposes areas for
donor assistance. The Task Force has done this by consulting directly with Palestinian
executive and legislative officials, with Palestinian civil society, with the
Israeli government and with the donor community. Day-to-day activities of the
Task Force are undertaken through seven Reform Support Groups, composed of donor
representatives working in the West Bank and Gaza, in the areas of Elections,
Financial Accountability, Judicial, Legislative Process, Market Economics, Local
Government and Public Administration and Civil Service Reform. The Reform Support
Groups work with the Palestinian Authority to advance the reform plans, monitor
implementation and identify appropriate benchmarks to measure successful implementation
of—and
barriers that impede—reforms.
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Press Contacts:
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Anthony Gooch
202-862-9523
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Maeve O'Beirne
202-862-9549
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