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MoSD Launches Training Workshop to Institutionalize Human Rights in Government Work

MoSD Launches Training Workshop to Institutionalize Human Rights in Government Work

Ramallah – As part of the Palestinian government’s efforts to strengthen the State of Palestine’s commitment to human rights, the Ministry of Social Development organized a specialized training workshop on Tuesday entitled: “Strengthening and Institutionalizing the Human Rights Framework within the Ministry of Social Development.” The event was held in partnership with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the occupied Palestinian territory.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister Mr. Taha Al-Irani emphasized that the Ministry operates within a comprehensive national vision focused on integrating a rights-based approach into its policies, plans, and programs, with the aim of protecting vulnerable groups and promoting social justice. He stressed the importance of building the capacities of government teams and developing monitoring and evaluation tools in accordance with international standards.

He added that raising awareness among staff about human rights and international conventions is not optional—it has become a necessity to empower them to perform their humanitarian and social duties effectively, on the basis of justice, equality, and human dignity.

For his part, Mr. Neil Tobin, Deputy Head of the OHCHR office, noted that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the State of Palestine’s obligations under the international treaties it has joined. He highlighted that the Ministry of Social Development plays a central role in fulfilling these obligations, particularly in areas related to family rights, child protection, and the rights of persons with disabilities.

He further noted that cooperation between OHCHR and the Palestinian government, including the Ministry of Social Development, has been ongoing since 2017, with the shared goal of enhancing Palestine’s human rights commitments and building a responsible and accountable government system. He praised the Ministry’s efforts, particularly its submission of all seven national reports and the development of national action plans under the Convention Against Torture and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The workshop included three dialogue sessions that focused on Palestine’s international human rights obligations, mechanisms for mainstreaming a rights-based approach in planning and policymaking, and the Ministry’s experience in preparing international reports—especially on disability and child rights. These sessions were part of broader efforts to strengthen institutional frameworks grounded in rights and to enhance national monitoring and reporting tools.

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 On the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, MoSD Affirms: Protecting Girls Begins with Education, Protection, & Family Empowerment

 On the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, MoSD Affirms: Protecting Girls Begins with Education, Protection, & Family Empowerment

Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that child marriage cannot be addressed in isolation from the broader social protection system, as it is linked to multiple factors, including poverty, school dropout, domestic violence, loss of parental care, displacement, and weakened protection networks. The Ministry explained that its role includes protecting children and girls at risk, providing case management, family interventions, psychosocial support, and referral services, and connecting families with assistance, essential services, and economic empowerment programmes. It also coordinates with relevant authorities when the safety of a child or girl is at risk. The Ministry places the best interests of the child and protection from exploitation and abuse at the heart of its child protection services. The Ministry stressed that preventing early marriage also requires protecting families from poverty and economic shocks, supporting girls' continued access to education, raising awareness of their rights, and strengthening families' ability to cope with pressures without resorting to practices that may expose girls to long-term physical, psychological, and social risks. The issue is particularly concerning in the Gaza Strip, where the Ministry warned that the loss of parental care, displacement, extreme poverty, and the declining capacity of extended families to provide care and protection increase children's vulnerability to various forms of exploitation, including early marriage. In this context, the Ministry continues to work with local and international organizations involved in child and women's protection to strengthen early intervention, referral pathways, alternative care, and psychosocial support, alongside assistance to the most vulnerable families to reduce the risk factors that may contribute to early marriage. The Ministry called for child marriage to be addressed as a child protection and human rights issue requiring coordinated action among families and social, educational, health, and legal institutions. It also called for increased investment in girls' education, protection, and empowerment to safeguard their right to grow, learn, and make decisions about their future freely and safely.

المزيد
 On World Children's Day, MoSD: Palestinian Children Face Harsh Realities of Loss, Displacement, Violence, & Deprivation

 On World Children's Day, MoSD: Palestinian Children Face Harsh Realities of Loss, Displacement, Violence, & Deprivation

Ramallah – On the occasion of World Children's Day, observed annually on 20 November, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that Palestinian children are facing extremely harsh conditions amid the continuing consequences of the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip and escalating attacks, displacement, home demolitions, and movement restrictions in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. These conditions have deprived children of their lives, families, shelter, education, care, and safety. According to available United Nations data, at least 21,700 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip, while approximately 45,000 have been injured, including more than 11,000 children who have sustained life-altering injuries. Meanwhile, thousands of families continue to experience repeated displacement and deprivation of essential services. In the West Bank, including Jerusalem, children continue to face attacks, forced displacement of families, and damage to schools, homes, and infrastructure. More than 1,700 children have been displaced since the beginning of 2026 as a result of settler violence, movement restrictions, and demolitions. The Ministry stressed that the consequences of war and occupation extend beyond immediate casualties to include bereavement, family separation, hunger, school dropout, child labour, violence, exploitation, acquired disabilities, and psychological and social distress. These risks require a comprehensive and long-term child protection response. The Ministry explained that child protection is a central pillar of its work, implemented through Child Protection Departments in its directorates. These departments receive reports, assess levels of risk, provide case management and family follow-up, facilitate referrals to specialized services, and intervene in cases of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Their responsibilities also include protecting children engaged in labour or begging, children who have dropped out of school, and children in conflict with the law, in coordination with relevant government authorities and partner organizations. In the Gaza Strip, children's protection and care needs have intensified significantly, particularly among orphans, children deprived of parental care, separated and unaccompanied children, and those requiring psychosocial support. In cooperation with its partners, the Ministry is working to provide alternative care, social follow-up, sponsorship programmes, psychological support, and food, health, and in-kind assistance, while strengthening and restoring child protection services across the Gaza Strip. The Ministry emphasized that protecting children is inseparable from protecting their families. Accordingly, child protection services form part of a broader social protection system encompassing food, cash, and non-food assistance, health insurance, education, school bags and stationery, psychosocial support, services for persons with disabilities, and family economic empowerment. These interventions aim to reduce the risks associated with poverty, displacement, loss of income, and family instability. The Ministry of Social Development called on the international community, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and donors to provide sustainable support for the Palestinian child protection system. It urged continued funding for alternative care programmes, orphan sponsorship, psychosocial support, education, nutrition, and rehabilitation, alongside support for Palestinian national institutions capable of reaching children and families and ensuring sustained follow-up. The Ministry concluded by emphasizing that World Children's Day cannot be merely an occasion for celebration while Palestinian children are deprived of their most fundamental rights. It stressed that protecting children begins with safeguarding their right to life and extends to ensuring their rights to family care, shelter, food, education, healthcare, protection, and social support.

المزيد
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