Expert Knip Speaks on Dutch-Palestinian Local Government Cooperation

The Birzeit School of Government at the Birzeit University Faculty of Law and Public Administration held on March 10, 2015 a public lecture on the policy lessons of Dutch-Palestinian local government cooperation, delivered by international expert Peter Knip. He is the president of VNG International - the international cooperation agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities, and the founder and president of Hague Academy for Local Governance. He also serves as the vice-president of United Cities and Local Governments, an umbrella organisation for cities, local governments and municipal associations throughout the world.

Knip described the nature of the local government system in the Netherlands, and support provided by the Association of Netherlands Municipalities to some Arab countries including Palestine, especially over the last two decades. Knip also touched on the world's most important systems of local governance and the relationship between local government and central government, explaining the mechanisms and implications of transformation from centralization to decentralization in various countries.

As part of his visit to Birzeit University’s campus, Knip met with Acting President Henry Giacaman, and the School of Government’s director, Husam Zomlot, as well as Ammar Al-Dwaik and Estephan Salameh from the Department of Public Administration. The productive meeting produced a preliminary agreement for cooperation and joint executive education programs between the school, and VNG International and the Hague Academy for Local Governance.