Cooperative Support Programme for Palestine (CSP-OPT)

The project provides support to the Cooperative Work Agency (CWA) and its subsidiary bodies, the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) and the Cooperative Development Fund (CDF) to fulfil both regulatory and promotional functions, thereby creating a conducive eco-system that will allow cooperatives to emerge and to flourish while preserving their independence and autonomy. The CWA, established as per Article (4) in the Cooperative Law of 2017, is the new regulatory and promotional body for Palestinian cooperatives in oPt. In addition, the project will provide technical support to the newly founded General Cooperative Union and its five sectorial unions, especially in the areas of planning, training, legal questions. The project will also support the exchange of expertise and knowledge with international partners.
The intermediate objectives for the project are:

• Establishing a conducive institutional, legal and administrative ecosystem for cooperatives
• Developing systems and tools for the provision of training support services to cooperatives
• Promoting new and innovative forms of cooperatives

The project is fully aligned with the Ministry of Labour’s Cooperative Sector Strategy 2017-2022 and its strategic goals, which is part of the National Strategy Framework for the Labour Sector and the National Policy Agenda for the Palestinian Government.