The Shadow Report on Palestine’s implementation of SDG 16:
AMAN: The continuous occupation and weak political will are major barriers to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
Ramallah – As a member of the national team working on Goal 16 of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which focuses on promoting peace and security, building strong institutions, and combating corruption, and which the State of Palestine has committed to seek to achieve, the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN) held a special session to present its shadow report. This report examines the progress made toward five key targets that intersect with anti-corruption efforts. It is a voluntary civil society contribution aimed at analyzing the challenges blocking progress, while also offering recommendations to overcome them.
The session was attended by representatives of public institutions, but notably absent were the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Justice, both of which lead Palestine’s official efforts to implement Goal 16. Issam Haj Hussein, the Executive Director of AMAN, opened the session by emphasizing that this report is an independent contribution from the civil society that assesses the progress made towards achieving SDGs, offering a different perspective from the official report. It focuses on SDG 16 on peace, justice, and building strong institution, which is interrelated to transparency, integrity and fighting corruption.
Adopting a national strategy to strengthen governance and combat corruption
Researcher Raeda Qandeel presented the main points of the report, highlighting recent steps the Palestinian government took to strengthen integrity and combat corruption. These include adopting the National Cross Sectoral Strategy to strengthen governance and combat corruption 2025–2030 and circulating it to ministries. The current government program includes plans for institutional reform, consolidation of institutions, improving services and fighting corruption. A permanent committee for government reform has been formed and a special office reporting to the Prime Minister’s Office has been established.
Failure to publish the findings of the National Money Laundering Risk Assessment
Qandeel addressed the progress achieved on Target 16.4, which focuses on reducing illicit financial flows and strengthening the recovery of stolen assets. She pointed out that a new Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Law was issued, aligned with international standards, along with supportive regulations. However, Palestine has not published the findings of its National Money Laundering Risk Assessment. No public data were released on recovered criminal proceeds in the past two years. Palestine still lacks a dedicated law regulating criminal proceeds recovery and related international cooperation.
Aman polls: the legal framework does not criminalize promises of bribes in the private sector
Regarding Target 16.5, reducing corruption and bribery in all their forms, the report pointed out the most recent polls, which indicated that practices such as nepotism, favoritism, public fund embezzlement, breach of trust, and abuse of power continue to exist. It also pointed out that the legal framework does not criminalize promises of bribes in the private sector. Oversight and judicial bodies lack independence, and there is external interference in their work. No progress was seen in ensuring transparency in political party and election campaign financing, due in part to the occupation and weak bodies mandated to oversee their financing.
Failure to release financial documents and government contracts with the private sector
The report addressed Target 16.6, developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions, noting that no progress has been achieved in enacting new laws to regulate the movement of senior officials between public and private sectors. Financial disclosure for senior officials including the President, Prime Minister, ministers, PLC members, judges and prosecutors, is only required once, upon taking office, rather than regularly. There is no competent oversight body to audit these disclosures. Palestine significantly deteriorated in the 2023 Open Budget Survey, scoring 0% for public participation in budget preparation, 17% for oversight, and 8% for transparency. The Ministry of Finance published only 3 out of 8 key budget documents required for the public.
In public procurement: The High Council for Public Procurement Policies made progress by integrating many government centers of responsibility and local authorities into a unified public procurement portal. However, no progress was made in including the procurement processes of the government contracts involving public resources like telecom, water, and electricity; their agreements with the private sector were not disclosed to the public. Moreover, the government has not yet completed an electronic procurement strategy, which would increase transparency and integrity in public procurement of government institutions and local authorities.
Erosion of public trust in inclusive and transparent decision-making
The report addressed Target 16.7, on responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The Palestinian government has made some progress in senior appointments, as it opened twelve positions of deputy minister to competition. However, the actual procedures are still to be assessed for their effectiveness, transparency and integrity. Moreover, this progress did not extend to special positions, such as the chairs of non-ministerial institutions. Women’s participation in leadership positions remains low, not exceeding 18.5%, despite slight improvement. The report noted that no written policy governing the relation between civil society and government is put in place, although the official discourse emphasizes partnership in formulating public policy. Despite some procedural steps, such as the public consultation platform launched by the Ministry of Justice to gather feedback on proposed laws, public engagement remains limited. The report noted a decline in public trust in the inclusiveness and transparency of decision-making.
Lack of national strategy to protect human rights defenders
The report noted that regarding Target 16.10 on protecting fundamental freedoms and ensuring public access to information, no legislation has yet been approved to guarantee this right or to establish national archives, despite repeated demands. Palestine still lacks a national strategy to protect human rights defenders. Freedom indicators have sharply declined. In Freedom House’s 2024 index, Palestine scored 22/100. It ranked 157th worldwide in the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) published by Reporters Without Borders.
AMAN recommendations (in the Shadow Report)
On Target 16.4, sign bilateral agreements with countries to exchange information and recover stolen assets; ensure the independence and effectiveness of the asset recovery unit; adopt a dedicated law to enhance international cooperation in asset recovery.
On Target 16.5, expand the scope of predicate crimes in money laundering to include abuse of power, and positions, and sexual harassment in civil service; criminalize bribery in the private sector, including coercion, or threats, intimidation, or promises or offers of undue privileges to incite on false testimonies, or interfere in testimonies, or submit evidence in procedures related to criminalized acts, or interfere in judicial or law enforcement operations, in line with the Convention Against Corruption.
On Target 16.6 that calls for developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions, Aman recommends to adopt a national reform plan for the judiciary, including a full legal and institutional review of the judiciary and the prosecution; introduce clear regulations for the transition of public officials to private sector jobs (especially ministers, PLC members, tax and customs officer and others); Assign a competent or judicial body to audit financial disclosures, and make public the disclosures of at least senior officials; Enforce penalties for non-disclosure, late submissions, or false statements, and enforce such penalties on all employees.
In addition to disclosure of detailed financial data, complete the institutional requirements for implementing the Public Procurement Law, and integrate all relevant government centers of responsibility and local authorities into the unified public procurement portal. Include all procurement processes in the unified public procurement portal, especially those related to the use of public resources such as telecom, water, and electricity contracts. Finalize the e-procurement strategy that shall enhance transparency and integrity of public procurement for government institutions and local authorities. Establish a monitoring system for elections campaigns and candidate campaign financing, requiring candidates to open a designated campaign account and report all expenses and donations; The Central Elections Committee shall have open access to those accounts; Set donation limits and ensure public disclosure of campaign finances, and obligate each list or candidate to submit comprehensive financial statements that include all transactions made during the elections campaign and make them available to the public. Consider making individuals convicted of corruption ineligible to hold positions in state-owned or partially state-owned enterprises; put in place measures that impose consequences on corruption, such as considering corruption as grounds for canceling contracts, withdrawing privileges or other equivalent acts.
Regarding Target 16.7, AMAN recommended to adopt a women’s quota in appointments and ministerial positions; empower women to hold leadership roles and apply principles of equal opportunity to all senior positions; enshrine in the law public participation in policymaking, and enforce the law without discrimination to reduce corruption.
On Target 16.10 on protecting fundamental freedoms and public access to information, AMAN called for annulling the imprisonment penalty in publications’ cases and replace them with fines; stop blocking websites without a court order; accelerate adopting the Access to Information Law and the National Archives Law, and review the Cybercrime Law to guarantee freedom of expression.
Finally, the report stressed the importance of enhancing international cooperation, especially with foreign anti-corruption agencies, and activating communications with international law enforcement agencies. It stressed the need for providing support for drafting laws of international legal cooperation. It also emphasized the value of shadow reports and voluntary reviews to monitor progress in fighting corruption and achieving SDGs.
