Palestinian NGOs Network

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO or PNGO Net) is an umbrella organization of Palestinian non-government organisations (NGOs) in the Palestinian territories formed to enhance coordination, consultation and cooperation between member NGOs and to strengthen Palestinian civil society and contribute to the establishment of a Palestinian state.[1] PNGO was formed in September 1993, and as of January 2020, had 135 member NGOs operating in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.[2][3]

PNGO operates through committees of members working in five sectors: health, democracy and human rights, women and children, rehabilitation and agriculture. PNGO role is to establish general guidelines and coordinate the NGOs work but has no line authority on the NGOs.[1]

PNGO is a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and promotes other anti-Israel activities.[2] Individual PNGO members, such as Defense for Children International – Palestine, also promote BDS and are active participants in lobbying the UN, EU, foreign governments, and other international bodies that promote this agenda.[4]

Funding of PNGOs[]

Each member NGO obtains separate funding for its activities and projects from donors, including foreign governments, international organisations, charities, etc., which all form part of the international aid to Palestinians.

In January 2020, the European Union (EU) inserted a clause in new EU’s grant contracts to prohibit recipients from working with and funding organizations and individuals designated on the EU’s terror lists. The PNGO vehemently opposed the new requirement.[4][3] According to media reports, PNGO claimed that Palestinian terrorist organizations are in fact “political parties.”[5] According to the PNGO, the EU sent a “clarification letter” on 30 March 2020, which clarified that the EU provision only applies to persons explicitly named in its restrictive list and emphasized that no Palestinian persons are included in that list, and that the provision is limited to “financial procedures”, adding: “The EU does not ask any civil society organization to change its political position towards any Palestinian faction or to discriminate against any natural person based on his/her political affiliation”.[6][7] The EU reaffirmed its position in April 2021, saying the EU must “thoroughly verify” that its funds are not “allocated or linked to any cause or form of terrorism and/or religious and political radicalization.” Any funds that did go to any person or organization with terrorist ties must be “proactively recovered, and recipients involved are excluded from future union funding.”[8]

On 6 May 2021, four Palestinians were expected to be charged by Israel for diverting European humanitarian aid sent to Palestinian NGOs, particularly the , to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), designated a terrorist organization by the EU, US, Canada, and others. It is also alleged that at least 70 NGO officials are affiliated with the PFLP. It is alleged that between 2014 to 2021, numerous European governments gave over €200 million to the PFLP’s NGO network, some of which was used to finance terrorism.[9]

Members[]

Each member NGO has its own area of activity and is affiliated to related international organisations (which may in turn be affiliated with other entities) and attends international conferences at which it may present papers on its area of interest.

Members of PNGO include:

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network Palestine | arab.org". Archived from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b NGO Monitor, Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO) Archived 2020-11-08 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "EU funding criterion accused of 'criminalising Palestinian resistance'". Middle East Monitor. February 4, 2020. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Monitor, N. G. O. "Defense for Children International - Palestine » ngomonitor". ngomonitor. Archived from the original on 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
  5. ^ "Palestinian NGOs reject EU assistance over refusal to renounce ties to terrorism". JNS.org. December 31, 2019. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  6. ^ EU sends “clarification letter” to PNGO about EU funding of Palestinian NGOs
  7. ^ "Senior EU official vows to 'look deep' into EU funding Palestinian terror". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  8. ^ EU moves to stop funding Palestinian terrorists, inciting textbooks
  9. ^ Four Palestinians to be charged with diverting European aid to terrorism
  10. ^ NGO Monitor, Health Work Committees (HWC) Archived 2020-11-08 at the Wayback Machine
Retrieved from ""