Country Director, PalestineGlobal Communities
Ms. Lana Abu-Hijleh is an accomplished development expert with over 32 years’ experience working with international development agencies and the private sector in the West Bank and Gaza (WBG). She has been the WBG Country Director for Global Communities since 2003, leading the successful development and implementation of multiple development and humanitarian assistance programs. For seventeen years, Lana fulfilled a series of roles with progressively increasing responsibility with the United Nations Development Program/Program of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP). Lana is the first woman to be join the Boards of Directors of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) and the Bank of Palestine focusing on building cooperation bridges between the private sector and civil society. She is a fellow of the Aspen Institute Middle East Leadership Initiative (MELI) through which she designed, and successfully launched the globally acclaimed Youth Local Councils (YLCs) Initiative focusing on preparing the future good governing leaders of Palestine and took the model to Honduras and helped introduce it to Ukraine. Lana and the YLCs won the prestigious John P. McNulty Prize for 2017 for impactful leadership. She is the founder of the Palestinian Youth Development Organization- SHIAM. In 2015, the BBC named Lana as one of the 100 most inspirational women in the world for the positive example and hope she provides for young Palestinians. She is a member of the global Young Presidents Organization (YPO/WPO), co-founder of the Partners for New Beginning, helped launch the Celebration of Innovation initiative and Ibtikar Investment Fund. Lana also serves on the Boards of the Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), a co-founder of Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, is a member of the Business Women Forum and a founder and chairwoman of the Palestinian highly acclaimed popular dance troupe El-Funoun engaging thousands of youth in culture and art activities.