SUMMARY
On the occasion of the participation of Palestine, for the first time in a United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, the Ministry of Economy and Trade of the Palestine National Authority (PNA) has prepared this Information Note. The Note is intended to brief the Conference on the particular development challenges facing Palestine at a crucial moment in its history, and the constraints that continue to impair long-term prospects. The Note provides an overview of the economic policy and foreign trade regime of the Palestinian National Authority in the occupied Palestinian territory (West Bank and Gaza Strip), as it evolved between 1994 and 2000. It is introduced by an account of the geographic setting and main population indicators, followed by a review of the aggregate and sectoral economic performance during that period, with reference to the most recent available official Palestinian statistics. Internal and external constraints hampering the economy's sustained development are also examined, in order to identify the main policy issues that need to be addressed in the coming years. [English only]
