A new regulatory and promotional entity, the Palestinian Cooperative Work Agency (CWA) has been established as per the new Cooperative Law of 2017. Previously operating as the General Directorate of Cooperatives at the Ministry of Labour the new agency has effectively been established with a board, a chairman, and staff. However the existing structure still mirrors its previous form and needs to be revamped with an operational budget and appropriate premises.

The ILO has been providing technical support to cooperative development in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including though the development of the new Cooperative Sector Strategy launched by the Prime Minister Rami Hamadallah in February 2017. Building on these efforts, the ILO has committed to providing institutional support to the establishment of and capacity building for the CWA. The institutional support envisioned includes design of the CWA’s organizational structure, work plan and framework strategy; analysis of the legal framework to draft by-laws; and assistance for the development of the CWA features. For this purpose, the ILO has contracted two international cooperative experts, one technical and the other legal, to assist with the above mentioned tasks.

The technical consultant has completed his mission to the West Bank in March 2018 and drafted a report on the institutional assessment for the establishment of the Agency, including an assessment of the legal, organizational and technical requirements for the effective implementation of the new Cooperative Law. Upon endorsement of the assessment, the consultant will submit a draft concept note for a possible development cooperation project supporting the activation of the CWA.