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Dept for International Development

Answer

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial support the UK has given to the Palestine Liberation Organisation negotiation support unit since 1998; what conditions were attached to such funding; what arrangements have been put in place to monitor such funding; whether the results of such monitoring have been published; and whether any of the funding has been used for the presentation of the Palestinian case relating to Israel's Security Force at the International Court of Justice at the Hague. [159670] Hilary Benn: The UK has committed £9.2 million for support to the Palestinian Negotiations Support Unit (NSU). This covers funding from 1998 until 2006. £5.6 million has been disbursed to date. Our support is delivered through a contract with ASI Ltd, who are accountable to us for the use of our funding. There are no specific conditions attached to the funding. We monitor the assistance NSU provides against an agreed budget and objectives. The governments of Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and Denmark provide complementary funding, and we are integrating our monitoring with theirs. Project monitoring reports are not normally published unless there is a reason to do so. UK funds have supported the NSU's advice to the Palestinian Authority in presenting their case on the Israeli separation barrier at the International Court of Justice. It is not unusual for the UK to give funding to developing countries to help them negotiate more effectively in international fora, for example the WTO, where they make take positions that run counter to those of the EU and individual member states.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

419 c31W; 159670

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Development aid Borders Monitoring Security Walls and fences Israel Palestine Middle East Peace negotiations

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk