Poverty research centre gets construction green light

AMMAN — The first research centre in the region solely dedicated to tackling poverty will be built in Amman, following a recommendation put forth by the Ministry of Social Development in 2018 during the last Arab summit in Riyadh.

According to a statement made available to The Jordan Times, one of the Arab League’s sub-councils agreed last year to create the centre for the purpose of conducting studies on social policies and battling poverty.

In a meeting held on Sunday with the presence of Arab League representatives, European Union delegates and social development workers, the centre’s establishment was announced.

“This centre is the first of its kind in the region, which will allow us to build a joint database among Arab countries on issues such as multidimensional poverty,” Minister of Social Development Basma Ishaqat said in the statement.

The ministry has already drafted an organisational structure for the centre and has set a time frame for its creation, according to Sultan Drobi, a media officer at the ministry. He added: “The concerned parties in Jordan have already been contacted to start execution.”

Arab League representative, Tarek Nabulsi, pointed out that the centre would produce reports on strategies to overcome poverty while simultaneously doing so itself by creating job opportunities.

“Not only will the centre set programmes to eliminate poverty and nurture financial growth, but it will also employ and engage youth in its research,” he said.