The Unity of the Palestinian Economy a Key for Ending the Occupation and Achieving Sustainable Development- 23 - 24 January 2011: annual conference

Various social classes and economic sectors in the Palestinian Territory suffer from the geographic separation that exists between the two wings of the country—the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This geographic separation has been intensified with the closure imposed by the Israeli occupying forces, hindering human interaction and trade exchange. The political divide between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, since mid-2007, has reinforced and widened this gap.

The objective of the 2010 conference is to study the nature and implications of the economic gap that stems from the geographic and political separation between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Moreover, it aims to study the optimal approaches for bridging it and reintegrating the economy in such a way that utilizes the advantages of each part and secures an equitable distribution of the burden and fruits of economic development.

The conference will focus on analysing the implications of geographic separation, its economic disadvantages, and the need for bridging it on various fronts: economically, legally, administratively and concretely (infrastructure). Through thorough research and intensive debate, the conference aims to achieve the following goals:

Identify the root causes behind the existing economic gap between the West Bank and Gaza and the factors behind its rapid expansion over the last few years.

Develop an economic vision of the role Gaza’s economy can play in the sustainable economic development of an independent Palestine State.

Study the possibilities for regional development: the relative spatial advantages in the various governorates of the future Palestinian State.

Understand the mechanisms currently at work in Gaza’s economy.

Identify and study policies and mechanisms that can best integrate the two wings of the state. Seek possible alternatives to current infrastructure and administrative structures to help achieve this integration.