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Yesterday, German Development Minister Svenja Schulze and the new Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa, agreed to launch an initiative for employment and stability which will also be open for further donors. As a result of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October, the economic situation has deteriorated massively in all of the Palestinian territories. Unemployment in the West Bank has nearly tripled, reaching 40 per cent. The initial target of the initiative for the next three years is to create about 25,000 new jobs in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and to help protect existing jobs.

The World Bank will be able to use up to an additional 70 billion US dollars over the next ten years to combat climate change, biodiversity loss, pandemics and other global challenges. Following the agreement on an evolution of the bank last year (“better bank”), it was also possible to organize additional funds (“bigger bank”). These will provide dedicated incentives for projects that not only benefit individual countries, but have regional and global impacts.

The German government has agreed on 15 measures to support businesses and private actors in advancing economic recovery in Ukraine. A “key principles paper” outlining these measures was adopted by cabinet today. The focus will be on grants and interest subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine and investment guarantees for German businesses.

Parliamentary State Secretary Niels Annen of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) said today in Amman: “While today’s new contributions are part of our regular cross-regional support to UNRWA, Germany has made clear, that future engagement with UNRWA in Gaza will depend on the progress of the OIOS investigation and the Independent Review”.

Gender equality is not just a question of justice – it is also a matter of common sense. If women have equal rights and bear equal responsibility, there is less hunger and poverty in the world – and more stability. That is why #WeTheWomen seeks to strengthen the rights, resources and representation of women worldwide.

In view of continuing repression against representatives and members of religious and faith communities in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, Frank Schwabe made the following statement: “[...] In the face of horrible images from the war and current discussions about support for Ukraine, we must not forget the human rights situation in the territories which Russia has occupied in violation of international law. Freedom of religion or belief is definitely one of these rights.”