A national meeting via video-conference was held between the Gaza Strip and West bank on 14 September 2009 to launch the national Campaign to Defend Public Freedoms and Human Rights and to Promote the Restoration of National Unity in Palestine. Over 150 r more
On October 2nd, 2009, the Palestinian Authority withdrew of its draft resolution supporting the recommendations contained in the Goldstone Report, resulting in a deferral of a vote to endorse the report in the Human Rights Council to March 2010. The repor more
The university of Trondheim in Norway may become the first university in the West to adopt an academic boycott of Israel, if a majority of its board votes in favor of the move at a meeting on the subject next month. more
In November 2009, the jury of the French National Consultant Committee for Human Rights in France selected the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) as one of the five winners more
( statement by the Palestinian NGO'S Network - PNGO ) Yesterday morning, May 6, 2010 at 6 am the Israeli General Security Service and Israeli police raided Ameer Makhoul's home in Haifa and arrested him. Makhoul, serves as General Director of Ittijah more
On Tuesday May 11, the Consul General of France in Jerusalem, Frédéric esagneaux, handed over a more
The Free Gaza flotilla, carrying around 700 pro-Palestinian activists from various countries, as well as approximately 10,000 tones of humanitarian aid, was headed for Gaza on Monday May 31st, 2010. While still travelling on international waters, 65 km of more
1. Grassroots International Protection for the Palestinian People (GIPP)
2. The Palestinian Election Law:
PNGO, as a member of the National Campaign for Changing the Election Law, lobbied extensively for amendments to be made to the Palestinian Election Law. PNGO held public meetings right throughout the West Bank and Gaza where members of the National Campaign for Changing the Election Law, representatives of civil society organizations as well as the general public had the chance to lobby and question members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) regarding the Election Law.
In response to the public pressure exerted by the National Campaign for Changing the Election Law, the PLC introduced the following amendments to the Election Law which was passed on 18th June 2005 in its final reading:
- A mixed electoral system was introduced, namely. the combination of a standard system of using geographical electoral constituencies through a first-past-the post simple majority system and the use of a central electoral list which consists of one national constituency using proportional representation. Fifty percent of the parliamentary seats will be designated by means of the proportional representation lists and 50 percent by means of the district lists (as demanded by the National Campaign for Changing the Election Law).
- A women''s quota of 20 percent was introduced (albeit only to the proportional representation list and not to the district lists as demanded by the National Campaign for Changing the Election Law).
- The minimum candidacy age was reduced to 28 (albeit not to 25 as demanded by the National Campaign for Changing the Election Law).
- A qualifying electoral threshold of 1.5 percent for proportional representation lists was introduced (albeit not the 2 percent demanded by the National Campaign for Changing the Election Law).
- The use of the civil registry for the purposes of establishing voter eligibility was disallowed (as demanded by the National Campaign for Changing the Election Law).
3. Public education and monitoring regarding the implementation of the Election Law :
In 2005, PNGO started to raise awareness in advance of and in readiness for the PLC elections in January 2006, in cooperation with both Oxfam Quebec and the Swiss Development Cooperation. The project''s objectives were to educate the Palestinian public, especially those formerly lacking knowledge in this area, about content, implementation and practical consequences of the election Law. PNGO is actively educating and engaging Palestinian civil society and the public at large regarding the monitoring and shaping of the evolving Palestinian legal/regulatory framework to ensure that it reflects democratic principles and takes into consideration the concerns of the public.
Procedures and arrangements in East Jerusalem during the 2005 elections were inadequate and did not provide reasonable electoral conditions for candidates and voters in East Jerusalem. PNGO, therefore, is arranging for election campaigning on this specific issue in order to assure proper, reasonable and adequate provision for all voters in accordance with basic international electoral standards.