At the end of 2008, five training workshops were held within the framework of the Nazaha-Project in order to fight corruption in NGOs funded by the European Commission. About 80 directors and high-ranking members of NGOs from all over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip were skilled in five different methods of fighting corruption developed by the Nazaha-Project.

The Nazaha-Project is a joint initiative of KAS Ramallah and its Palestinian partner AMAN (Coalition for Accountability and Integrity). Its goal is to enhance and foster Palestinian civil society by fighting corruption and improving transparency within the NGO-Sector. The project is funded by the European Commission and is part of the “Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights”. AMAN is the National Association of Transparency International in the Palestinian Autonomous Territories.

In addition to the Nazaha-Project, the European Commission supports a number of Palestinian NGOs from various fields of activity. By attending these workshops, the NGOs were able to learn how to improve transparency and integrity within their own organization. Preparing these workshops in cooperation with the European Commission as one of the largest donors of Palestinian NGOs, ensured that the methods developed by the Nazaha-Project for fighting corruption in the NGO-Sector actually reach the NGOs supported by the European Commission.

The workshops focused on the Code of Conduct for Palestinian NGOs, on the criteria as well as the awarding process of the NGO-Certificate and on the strategies developed by the Nazaha-Project for fighting corruption in the NGO-Sector.

The Code of Conduct for Palestinian NGOs is an important element of the Nazaha-Project. By signing the code, the NGOs commit themselves to strict standards of integrity, transparency and accountability. The positive reactions that the Code of Conduct for transparency and accountability received by the Palestinian NGO-Sector, is regarded as one of Nazaha’s greatest achievements and marks an important step towards a corruption-free civil society.

The NGO-Certificate is based upon the Code of Conduct and represents a unique incentive for NGOs to improve transparency. It was jointly brought into being with “NGOs against Corruption”, a network initiated by the Nazaha-Project. The successful implementation of an all-out control mechanism for Palestinian NGOs is one of the project’s greatest achievements. It will ensure the continuation of the fight against corruption in the NGO-Sector for the upcoming years. First in December 2007, a number of “Nazaha”-Certificates for Good Governance were awarded to different Palestinian NGOs during a ceremony.

The Problem of corruption in the NGO-Sector represents a crucial challenge for civil society and international donors in the Palestinian Autonomous Territories. By implementing the Nazaha-Project, strategies and mechanisms have been developed which will continue to strengthen transparency and integrity in the NGO-Sector. The fact that the European Commission itself is training its partners within this project shows the quality and the importance of the measures taken.