156 and provide care, security and health and social care for workers…”191 Article (2) of the Palestinian Labor Law issued in 2000 provides that “Work is a right for every citizen who can afford it. The PNA works to provide it on the basis of equal opportunity and without any kind of discrimination.” II ‐ The Status of the Right to Work in the Palestinian‐Controlled Areas A significant amount of data and statistics are involved in evaluating the status of the right to work in Palestine. We have adopted one key statistic, which is the unemployment rate set by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). Of particular interest are the statistics shown in its report on the unemployment rates in the third quarter of 2010, with some comparisons of these statistics with periods during the last three years (from 2008 to 2010). government policies were evaluated to provide the right to work through access to 1) some important documents, such as the PNA Official Journal (Palestine Facts); 2) the so‐called Government plan (A Date with Freedom); 3) Government guidelines in the formulation of the relevant draft laws; 4) complaints received by ICHR in this regard; 5) its follow‐up of the right to work in the newspapers, newsletters, workshops, and seminars. 1‐ Unemployment and Poverty Rates in Palestine The results of the labor force survey in the third quarter of 2010, implemented by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), have shown high unemployment rates in Palestine. According to a report by (PCBS), and the International Labour Organization (ILO), the percentage of individuals who did not work and were seeking jobs in Palestine increased between the second quarter and third quarter of 2010. The results showed an increase in the unemployment rate from (22.9%) in the second quarter to (26.6%) in the third quarter of 2010, while the percentage was (25.8%) in the third quarter of 2009. In the Gaza Strip, the unemployment rate rose from (39.3%) in the second quarter of 2010 to (40.5%) in the third quarter of 2010. According to the (PCBS) report, the unemployment rate in the West Bank rose from (15.2%) to (20.1%) during the same period. The southern governorates recorded the highest unemployment rate among the governorates of the West 191 Article (25) of the Palestinian Basic Law of 2002.