Ref: 40/2023

Date: 24 July 2023

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded the first stage of the elections of Palestine’s Children Council- Gaza Strip for the second elections (2023-2025). The elections were held across the five Gaza Strip governorates on 18 and 19 July 2023, to elect a council in each governorate consisting of a president, a deputy, and 5 other male and female members. The president and his deputy in each governorate are considered members of the secretariat of the Palestine’s Children Council – Gaza Strip.

Representing the General Assembly for Palestine’s Children Council – Gaza Strip, 145 male and female children aged 12-17 years participated in the elections. They were chosen based on specific criteria, most notably children’s willing to volunteer, work, receive trainings, monitor the status of child’s rights, document violations, collect data, and lead campaigns; the support and written consent of their parents; geographical diversity (city, village, refugee camp, communities); showing acceptance and willing to work with children under principles of effective teamwork. This project is implemented in partnership with Save the Children and in coordination with 45 child community organizations as well as Parents’ Students Council.

The elections were supervised by an election commission comprised of children themselves, including 5 members representing the presidents and deputies of the former governorates’ councils. This commission supervised all stages of the electoral process that started on 02 July and included the nomination and receiving candidates’ requests, voting, counting votes and announcing the final results. The commission was formed in the presence and supervision of representatives of Community Organizations (CBOs), press and media outlets.

The governorates’ council elections are the first stage of elections for the Palestine’s Children Council – Gaza Strip, as these elections are held every two years independently in each governorate. The number of candidates were 66 children: 9 in Northern Gaza, 19 in Gaza City, 13 in Central Gaza, 14 in Khan Yunis, and 11 in Rafah. Accordingly, 5 new councils for children were formed across the Gaza Strip governorates and comprised of 35 children, who are eligible to run for the second stage of Palestine’s Children Council elections in the Gaza Strip to elect the Secretariat of the Council. The second stage is supposed to be held in mid-August.

The elections were democratically and freely held in a highly competitive atmosphere, during which, the female and male candidates presented their electoral programs for the next phase tackling the most important issues they will work on to improve the reality of Palestinian children in order to fully enjoy their rights.

Meanwhile, the winners of the five governorates’ councils thanked and praised the Children’s General Assembly for having trust in us to be in this position, stressing their commitment to work jointly in order to promote child rights, expose and report violations against children, enable them to lead and hold stakeholders accountable, and to advocate for their rights. They added they will exert all efforts hand in hand with the General Assembly to reach a society where all children enjoy their legitimate guaranteed rights.

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These elections are part of a project to strengthen child participation in writing reports, child rights monitoring and accountability. The project, which is implemented by PCHR, is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) in partnership with Save the Children and in coordination with community organizations.