Policy paper

Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Palestinian Government

Published 28 April 2025

This Memorandum of Understanding establishes a new framework to guide and enhance the bilateral partnership of The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and The Palestinian Government (hereinafter referred to collectively as ‘the Participants’) and strengthen their international cooperation over the coming years.

Vision

This MoU, which defines our bilateral cooperation, will serve as a living document. Through regular high-level engagement, our bilateral relationship will continue to evolve into a more modern, innovative, and forward-looking strategic partnership.

As defined in this MoU, the Participants will continue to cooperate – both bilaterally and through international fora – to fully utilise the partnership in all spheres and to jointly counter global challenges and threats.

1. International cooperation

The Participants commit to coordinating, exchanging views, and working closely within the framework of their obligations and commitment to the international multilateral system, international law, and international organisations. The Participants reaffirm their commitment to upholding the rules-based international system and multilateralism, including through the UN and other international fora, and advancing peace, security and stability in the Middle East and beyond. The Participants underscore the importance of implementing all United Nations Security Council Resolutions pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

2. Two-state solution

The Participants underline their resolute commitment to the two-state solution based on 1967 lines and affirm the need to advance its implementation. The Participants emphasise the importance of recognition as a contribution to the two-state solution with a viable and sovereign State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel living side by side in peace, safety and security. In this context, the UK affirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people of self-determination, including to an independent state. The two-state solution remains the best way to achieve Palestinian statehood and to guarantee that Palestinians and Israelis can live in peace and security with mutual recognition. The Participants underline the importance of maintaining commitment to the PLO principles.

3. Partnership

The Participants reaffirm their partnership in support of shared priorities. The UK reiterates the centrality of the Palestinian Authority as the only legitimate governing entity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in Gaza. A viable and effective Palestinian Authority is vital for lasting peace and progress towards a two-state solution. The UK underlines its enduring political, financial and technical support to the Palestinian Authority as it carries out its vital reform agenda. The UK affirms the importance of the Palestinian Mission to the UK and expresses its readiness to actively and constructively facilitate its workings.

The Participants emphasise that the Palestinian Authority, working with international partners, must have the central role in the next phase in Gaza on governance, security and early recovery. The Participants are clear that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, must be reunified under its sole authority. The Participants express their support for Palestinian-led planning for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza.

The UK is committed to supporting humanitarian and developmental priorities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory across ambitious programmes. The Participants emphasise they will work closely across development priorities, including through an annual development dialogue. This will maximise alignment between the Participants’ priorities, strengthening the relationship on development matters.

The UK commends the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to delivering its ambitious and necessary ‘National Program for Development and Reform’, based on its seven strategic development initiatives and four institutional performance and service delivery reform pillars. The UK fully supports the implementation of the much-needed reforms, including through providing technical assistance, which will strengthen financial sustainability and economic development, enhance the transparency and efficiency of governance and service delivery, and promote peaceful coexistence with neighbouring countries. The Palestinian Authority underlines its commitment to delivering its reform agenda in full as a matter of priority in the short, medium and long term.

The Participants underline the importance of Palestinian democratic renewal. The Palestinian Authority commits to advancing this through elections and widening civic space, the rule of law, freedom of expression, media freedom, civil liberties, and actions to improve governance and fight corruption. The Participants underline that the Palestinian Authority will convene Presidential and Parliamentary elections within the shortest feasible timeframe. The Participants affirm the importance of holding inclusive general elections in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

4. Security cooperation

The Participants commit to building on the existing security cooperation relationship to further enhance the capacity, capability, transparency and accountability of the Participants’ security forces.

5. Trade and business relations

The Participants commit to working through the Joint Committee of the UK-Palestinian Authority Political, Trade and Partnership Agreement (PTPA) to deepen the bilateral trade relationship to support the development of the UK and Palestinian economies.

In line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, the UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as part of Israel and distinguishes between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

6. Education

The Participants commit to working together in the field of education to improve education for Palestinian children, promote global citizenship and build international trust and understanding.

7. Climate change

The Participants underline the need to promote successful outcomes to international discussions on action against climate change, with the global objective of reducing emissions, adapting to the effects of climate change and developing mitigation. The Participants will seek further areas of collaboration to exchange best practices.

8. Gender

The Participants commit to action to uphold the rights of women and minority groups and prevent the targeting of individuals in these categories.

9. Culture

The Participants will strengthen and enhance their cultural relationship and support education, scientific and cultural exchanges to contribute to a more inclusive, prosperous and open world.

10. Arrangements

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (MFAE) will have responsibility for this MoU. The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom and the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian Government, or their delegated representatives, will monitor and advance the implementation of the MoU through an annual strategic dialogue. The rank of the attendees, the date, location and venue, and agenda shall be determined through diplomatic channels. The Participants will facilitate the workings of their respective diplomatic offices in support of the MoU. The provisions of this MoU shall be without prejudice to any existing treaties, agreements, or memoranda of understanding between the Participants, or to which either Participant is a party or participant.

11. Application

This MoU will come into effect on the date of its signing and will continue in effect unless either Participant notifies the other, through diplomatic channels, of its intention to terminate it by giving three months’ written notice. This shall not affect the implementation of any ongoing activities, projects, and/or programmes launched under this MoU prior to the date of termination.

This MoU may be amended by mutual written arrangement between the Participants. Any approved amendments will form an integral part of this MoU and will not prejudice the commitments arising from or based on this MoU before or up to the date of such amendment.

Signed in London, on the 28 April 2025, in 2 originals in the English language, both texts being equally authentic.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Palestinian Government