The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) has issued a new policy paper titled " Ways to Strengthen the Role of NGOs in Advocacy in light of the current humanitarian crisis." A part of PNGO efforts to strengthen the role of Palestinian civil society in defending human rights amidst the war of genocide on the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The paper was developed under the project "Enhance the Civil Society's role to Work for ‎National Independence encompassing ‎principles of democracy, social justice, and ‎respect for human rights‎" in partnership with Norwegian People's Aid (NPA).

The policy paper aims to analyze and develop the role of Palestinian civil society organizations in influencing the situation at the local and international levels through mobilization and advocacy mechanisms. This enhances the effectiveness of their response to the escalating humanitarian crisis and provides practical recommendations to strengthen their ability to influence public policy and decision-making.

The paper examines the state of advocacy mechanisms among civil society organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, identifying key structural challenges. These include weak institutional governance, the absence of clear advocacy policies, limited technical capacities of staff, and diminished communication with the local community and international actors due to war conditions and institutional collapse.

The paper also analyzes the impact of public policies, funding conditions, and field monitoring on the effectiveness of civil society organizations and their ability to defend human rights and influence public policy, particularly at the international level.

The paper presents a set of lessons learned from local and regional experiences in mobilization and advocacy, along with a package of practical recommendations. These include developing administrative structures, creating institutional guides and procedures for advocacy, building staff capacities in monitoring, documentation, analysis, and human rights communication, and enhancing community participation mechanisms to lend local legitimacy to advocacy efforts.

Furthermore, PNGO emphasizes in the paper the importance of strengthening regional and international alliances and networks. This contributes to bolstering the Palestinian presence in human rights forums and directing evidence-based advocacy messages towards international decision-making centers.

PNGO concludes the policy paper by stressing that empowering Palestinian civil society organizations to perform their role in influence and advocacy requires a shift from temporary relief responses to building an institutional and sustainable advocacy system. This system must be capable of protecting human rights under the reality of occupation and the prolonged war on the Gaza Strip.

Ways to Strengthen the Role of NGOs in Advocacy in light of the current humanitarian crisis | Download