An intersessional expert seminar of the Multilateral Refugee Working Group was held in Oslo on September 28-29, 1993, hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by FAFO. The meeting was held in pursuance of a recommendation by the Refugee Working Group meeting in Oslo 11-13 May this year. That meeting recommended that an expert seminar should be organized to consider the data contained in the FAFO study of living conditions in the occupied territories and to submit recommendations to the next Working Group session on how to make the best use of the study.

Representatives and experts from 24 countries and organizations participated in the seminar, which focused on the following agenda items:

1. Household economic resources, labour and employment.
2. Disparities and vulnerable groups.
3. The role of women, health.
4. Data availability and accessibility.

Researchers from FAFO introduced the items, followed by interventions from participants. The meeting expressed unanimous support for the peace process and emphasized the vital importance that the process be supported by immediate and concrete steps aimed at improving the living conditions of Palestinian refugees.

The meeting highlighted the necessity of strengthening the data bases on refugees, building on the FAFO study and on other existing material. Even though further data is needed on refugees, the data base effort should be integrated with the general endeavors to provide reliable data on the Palestinian population including non-refugees. The aim was to allow for comparisons, to enhance efficient planning and to coordinate studies implemented under Palestinian authority.

The meeting was reminded that the last census in the occupied territories was conducted in 1967. It pointed to the need for reliable demographic data and for an updated census of the Palestinian population. Particular concern was expressed for producing the data needed to plan and to absorb the capital being mobilized for the population of refugees. In this context suggestions were made concerning several issues of development. This include the role of private sector including small scale businesses and its employment generation potential; the need to expand the public sector infrastructure; models of household economic strategies among refugees; needs and potential for human resources development; household income and expenditure patterns etc.

The meeting concluded that comprehensive efforts are needed to support the improvement of living conditions for refugees both within a broader strategy for restructuring the economy in the occupied territories and a strategy for a just solution to the refugee problem. Efforts are needed in the short, medium and long term. The meeting strongly advised that immediate initiatives be taken to address the situation for refugees, in light of the seven themes approved by the plenary of the Multilateral Working Group on refugees, and that several avenues for such initiatives could be indicated on the basis of existing knowledge.

There is an urgent need for the generation of jobs, employment and income. It was recommended that efforts to create income opportunities be tailored according to particular target groups, and that the initiatives be designed to strengthen the private and the public sectors. Several concrete suggestions were made, e.g. to provide credit schemes to develop small scale industries and handicrafts, to establish an agricultural fund, to invest in human resources development particularly in the technical and vocational areas, the need for skills development for high-technology industry. The meeting also emphasized that public expenditure programs directed towards improving infrastructure have an essential part to play in any comprehensive support program. While the meeting acknowledged that there has been an improvement of the health situation in the region as a whole, including the occupied territories, the need for further improvement of the health situation was emphasized. The role of UNWRA and the other UN agencies was highlighted.

The meeting also discussed how initiatives in the areas above could be organized. The need for strengthening the Palestinian capacity and competence in producing statistical information in all central areas, was highlighted. In this connection the international community was urged to support the establishment of the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics both materially, financially and with relevant expertise. The meeting welcomed the Israeli confirmation of its readiness to transfer own data to this bureau in the process of bilateral negotiations as agreed in the Declaration of Principles.

The meeting further emphasized the immediate need to strengthen the Palestinian governance systems and institutions to enable the Palestinian authority to assume its responsibilities. The Chair called on international institutions and donor agencies to coordinate their efforts in the best possible way.

Concrete proposals submitted by individual delegations for further initiatives, both in connection with data bases and in connection with the situation for refugees, are appended to this Chairman's Summary. These lists are for reference for future work.

The Chairman is of the opinion that the seminar was very productive in pointing to concrete initiatives to be taken. The discussions were held in a open and constructive manner which is promising for the forthcoming joint efforts. While the main discussion at the seminar focused on the situation in the occupied territories, and the refugee population in these territories, the concern of the Working Group is to assist the regional parties to settle the problems of all Palestinian refugees. Again, it is pertinent to note the courage and the visions of the regional parties, as well as the readiness for support expressed by the extra-regional parties and the international organizations.

APPENDIX: Suggestions made by individual delegations

A. Data base initiatives

The Palestinian delegation suggested

- a study to produce reliable estimates of Palestinians having left the territories, but unable to return,within the context of family reunification

- an international expert mission to evaluate the Israeli data on Palestinians, identify gaps and ways of correcting the database

- studies to construct a comprehensive map of diseases within the Palestinian population

- studies on the role of the education system in the nation building process, and particularly in transmitting democratic values. The study should focus on the younger cohorts of the Palestinian society

- studies based on qualitative, participant observation type, methods in order to analyze the coping mechanisms of households, in particular among refugees

- an integrated household survey of the World Bank type to be conducted in Gaza and the West Bank in order to produce data for the design of development strategies for refugees

- in-depth studies to be performed on the FALCOT data base in order to estimate absolute income and a poverty line

- in-depth studies to be performed on the FALCOT data base in order to produce labour force projections for the various sectors of the labour market

- to support the establishment of a systematic process of data production, analysis and use under Palestinian authority

- conducting human resource development programs on data management

- to support the building of information systems and expand the use of information technology hosted by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics in its capacity as the official organ of PLO

- a demographic survey

- nutritional data, particularly for children

- aerial photos and maps suited to plan a census be provided

- provision of electronic links between research institutions within the area and externally

- in-depth studies on the FALCOT data base about issues related to family unification

- qualitative studies of intra-household process and the relation between gender and education with the aim of increasing our understanding of the role of women

- qualitative and quantitative studies of the informal sector including peddling and take-home work (cottage industry)

- studies of mother and child health

The Israeli delegation suggested

- to produce data needed for increasing the capacity for absorbing capital being mobilized for the population of the refugees

- a study of small and middle scale industries able to reveal the structure of the private sector and to diagnose its needs to release its potential

- a study to be conducted about social and economic infrastructure among refugees

The Jordanian delegation suggested

- an integrated household survey to be conducted in order to establish the knowledge needed for economic reform and development

The Canadian delegation suggested

- an identification using the FAFO study of areas with highest priority and vulnerable target groups, as well as the concrete modalities to apply in order to fill short terms needs without compromising long term sustainable development

- to further discuss the issue of linking FAFO findings with that of documenting properly existing refugee-related ongoing or planned projects, project ideas and proposals - perhaps through a multilateral refugee-related database management system

The Norwegian delegation suggested

- Models of household economic strategies (coping strategies, distribution within households, investment strategies, economic importance of children)

- Household income and expenditure (consumer price indices, demand patterns, effects of taxes and subsidies, monitoring change in social differentiation and identification of vulnerable groups)

- Analysis of possible developments of migration patterns, internal and external

- Analysis of private sector employment generation potential

B. Individual suggestions regarding immediate actions

The Palestinian delegation

- asked for cautious interpretation of the FALCOT data in the area of health services and not to dismantle the UNWRA services before the Palestinian services are functioning properly and able to take over the responsibilities

- suggested that increased resources to UNWRA and others are needed to improve the quality of health services delivered to the refugee population

- suggested to establish training and educational schemes able to retrieve the opportunities lost by the young generation and women in particular

- suggested to counteract the underutilization of Palestinian skills through the establishment of well-designed programs to train educated people in high-technology industrial skills

- suggested schemes to encourage the establishment of small businesses

- suggested to plan for human resources development with particular emphasis on enhancing technical and vocational skills and capacity

- pointed to the necessity of creating more demand for employment and labour through a major, comprehensive restructuring of the Palestinian economy

- proposed to improve the basis for expanding the agrarian sector and its income generating potential through development programs directed at assuring a stable land tenure, enhancing the housing standard and developing irrigation technology (using models from similar Mediterranean countries) and mechanization

- invited other countries, international organizations and donors to support to the Palestinian Emergency Fund

While working towards a just solution for the Palestinian Refugee Problem, the Jordanian delegation called for

- In the short term, to expand the resource base through increased capital input for job creation by • agricultural modernization among small farmers and improvement of irrigation technology • loans for building and furnishing workshops and handicrafts.

- In the long term, there is need for overall transformation of the Palestinian economy.

UNWRA called for

- credit schemes for small scale enterprises and short term initiatives to provide employment and income to the most vulnerable groups

- immediate investment in design and planning of larger projects with a high employment potential during the implementation period. Only a few large scale projects are presently at the implementation stage (UNWRA/EC Gaza Hospital and EC Housing Projects in Gaza and the Westbank).

The Norwegian delegation

- suggested to carefully consider the structure and financing of health cares services in the context of building the Palestinian health care administration and authority

Oslo, September 28-29, 1993.