On 3 December, a ceremony at the Ministry of National Economy (MoNE) in Ramallah officially launched the MED TEST III project in Palestine. Under the auspices of H.E the Minister of National Economy Mr. Khaild Osaily, representatives from the Environment Quality Agency (EQA), the Delegation of the European Union in Jerusalem the next phase of the SwitchMed/MED TEST III project was presented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Until 2023, the MED TEST III project will focus on developing local capacities for a more resource efficient production in Palestine.

Stakeholders from the Palestine industry and economic actors attended the meeting and were briefed on the major project goals; of developing a local pool of qualified service providers who will be able to assist industries in Palestine in the transition to a more resource efficient production; and the realization of industry pilot projects to demonstrate the business case of a resource efficient production in Palestine.

The SwitchMed initiative is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Economy Division, the United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) and its Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP/RAC). The initiative was launched in 2013 to speed up the shift to sustainable consumption and production patterns in the Southern Mediterranean, notably through the promotion of circular economy approaches. The programme aims at achieving productive, circular and sharing economies in the Mediterranean by changing the way goods and services are consumed and produced so that human development is decoupled from environmental degradation.

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