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AMMAN — A World Bank (WB) project worth $200 million will help Jordan expand access to early childhood education and improve student assessment, teaching and learning conditions for Jordanian and Syrian refugee children, a WB statement said. 

The Education Reform Support Programme was approved on Tuesday by the WB Group’s board of directors and is expected to benefit some 700,000 Jordanian and Syrian refugee children in addition to helping train over 30,000 teachers across the Kingdom.   

Over the last two decades, Jordan’s primary gross enrollment ratio increased from 71 per cent in 1994 to 99 per cent in 2010, with the transition rate to secondary school increasing from 63 per cent to 98 per cent, according to the statement. 

However, challenges remain on certain aspects, which have been further exacerbated by the influx of Syrian refugees. The expansion of education access to Syrian refugee children has stretched resources and constrained the ability to maintain and improve the quality of education.

“The Government of Jordan realised early on that keeping Syrian refugee children out of school would have detrimental impacts in the long-term on peace, stability and economic development,” Saroj Kumar Jha, WB Mashreq regional director, was quoted in the statement as saying. 

“The government’s commitment to protecting Syrian refugee children’s right to education and integrating them in the public formal sector has put severe strains on the country’s fiscal balance and ability to deliver public services. The World Bank is committed to helping Jordan improve the access and quality of education to achieve the full potential of educational investments,” he added.

In spite of steady improvements over the past few years, the key challenge of low access to quality early childhood education has remained, leading to poor school readiness, particularly for children from poorer and disadvantaged backgrounds, including Syrian refugee children, the report stated. 

Poor student learning outcomes are also regarded as a main challenge, mostly attributable to the existing learning environment and teaching quality. 

One in five students in grade two can not read a single word, while nearly half are unable to perform a subtraction task correctly, thus lacking the basic skills for further mental development, the statement continued, noting that Jordan also faces a major challenge in its student assessment system which does not provide early and effective feedback on performance.

“The Education Reform Support Programme is well aligned with the government’s National Strategy for Human Resource Development (2016-2025) and supports four of its five main themes: expanding access and improving quality of early childhood education; improving teaching and learning conditions; reforming student assessment and certification system and strengthening education system management,” Karine Pezzani, WB senior operations officer, said in the statement.

The $200 million programme is financed at 25 per cent by the Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) and brings the WB Group’s total commitments to Jordan to $ 1.060 billion, of which $890 million is on concessional terms with funding from the GCFF and the International Development Association. 

Launched in 2016, the GCFF provides concessional financing to middle income countries hosting large numbers of refugees at rates usually reserved for the poorest countries, the statement concluded.

AMMAN — Discrimination against women with disabilities is affecting their participation in the economic and political life in Jordan, an activist and member of Insan Society said on Wednesday during a workshop titled: “People with Disabilities rights: Achievements and Challenges”. 

“Social boundaries and injustice against women with disabilities are worse than the disability itself,” Neimat said during the event organised by the Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI), in cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), as part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.

SIGI’s President Inaam Asha said that the first victims in unstable areas like the Arab region are the women, stressing that women suffering from disabilities are even more susceptible to acts of violence. 

Citing figures published by the Department of Statistics in 2016, Neimat said that, out of 57 per cent of women suffering from disability in Jordan, only 21 per cent are working. 

She noted that employers usually refuse to hire people with disabilities, claiming that they are “less productive”. 

“Having equal opportunities in work and education are great concerns for people with disabilities due to the lack of accessibility in streets and at workplaces for example,” Neimat added. 

Lara Iskandar from the Higher Council for the Affairs of People with Disabilities (HCD) said that, despite these challenges, the new law for people with disabilities is “a great achievement since it’s the first anti-discriminatory law in the region”.

The new law considers people with disabilities based on their rights and duties, rather than individuals who need to be cared for. 

Endorsed in September, the law defined disability as the environmental and social boundaries that prevent people with disabilities to take part in society.

The law criminalised depriving a person with disability from his/her rights to education or work. 

A specialised committee called “Equal Opportunities Committee” will be formed by representatives of ministries, the concerned authorities and experts to receive complaints about discriminatory acts perpetrated against people with disabilities, Iskandar noted. 

Meanwhile, GAM’s Head of People with Disabilities Services Khadeja Nsour noted that the municipality on Tuesday signed a memorandum with the HCD to facilitate the transportation system by importing 100 accessible buses as well as providing the Bus Rapid Transit with the needed facilitation to make it accessible.

AMMAN — Empowering women through sport was the topic of a panel discussion organised on Tuesday by the Australian Embassy with the participation of Lama and Rana Qubbaj, two jiujitsu world champions, and Rasha Batarseh, the project manager of “Football for Girls”. 

“Wherever you go in the world, there is still a gender-based discrimination towards female athletes,” Lama Qubbaj told The Jordan Times after the panel.

The 28-year old is part of the Jordanian national jiujitsu team, and a four-time world champion who ranked first in the world in the more than 70kg category. 

She denounced the lack of governmental help when it comes to supporting female athletes. “It is a constant struggle; we [her and her sister Rana] try to get exposure and find sponsors in order to get the funds to compete,” Lama stated. 

Rana Qubbaj agreed with her younger sister, saying “it is not possible to make a living from jiujitsu.” 

The 31-year-old, who has been a five-time jiujitsu world champion, added: “I work at a bank and my sister Lama is a freelance architect.”

The two created Arab Girls in Gis (traditional clothing for jiujitsu) to help girls interested in trying the martial art. “We wished we had a community like this when we started seven years ago,” Rana said. 

“The presence of a support programme is extremely important,” Rana explained, noting that “it can be very frustrating to start jiujitsu as a girl.”

Starting with only three girls three years ago, Arab Girls in Gis now counts more than 150 members. 

“People were saying: girls can’t fight, but we showed them that we do fight and we are even better than boys because we are more technical, not as aggressive,” Rana explained. 

The two sisters now wish to establish a centre where these girls can practise and everybody can be free to try out the martial art 

At the moment, Arab Girls in Gis only provides members with support and guidance, not a physical space due to lack of funding. 

“The problem is that we can not financially afford to quit our jobs and invest all our money in starting a gym for girls, even if that was what we wanted,” Rana added. 

During the discussion, the speakers denounced the lack of media coverage of female sport events and the inherent disinterest of the public. 

“Football for Girls”, a project funded by the Australian embassy, aims at empowering girls aged between 12 and 16 years old through football. 

“It was not easy to persuade girls to join the project, but some of them were looking forward to play a sport like their brothers or their neighbours do,” said Rasha Batarseh, project manager of Football for Girls. 

More than 250 girls are currently involved in the project’s 21 teams which targets schools, refugee camps and orphanages across Jordan, with a special focus on remote villages. 

“We can see a different mentality between the villages and the cities,” Batarseh said, noting that “besides the lack of nearby clubs for girls to play in, parents are also less supportive because of the higher levels of conservatism in rural areas.”

She stressed the successes that Football for Girls has achieved so far. “It helps girls at a personal level: most of them were aggressive and problematic at school and now they are more disciplined, which also helps them to have more confidence in their studies,” the manager said. 

BRUSSELS — US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson on Wednesday said that the US is "very committed" to the Middle East peace process despite Washington's decision to move the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"We continue to believe there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved," he said in a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

US President Donald Trump is "very committed" to the Middle East peace process and he has a team that he put in place "almost immediately" upon entering the White House, said the US official.

"That team has been working very diligently on new approaches to the peace process. They have been engaged in a quiet way with many in the region around that process," said Tillerson.

Asked about the possible consequences of the decision, the US official voiced his reassurances about the expected outcome of Trump's decision.

On his way to the NATO meeting, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: "We have no plans ourselves to more our embassy". However, he said the UK views the decision with concern.

"We believe Jerusalem should be part of the final settlement between the Palestinians and the Israelis… a negotiated settlement that we all want to see," the British minister told reporters in Brussels.

During the press conference, Tillerson referred to the situation in Syria and the Middle East and said the West relies on Russia in efforts to address the conflicts in the Middle East.

The US official said it was Russia's task to ensure that the Syrian regime takes part in the UN-led peace talks on Syria.

The US official said the Western allies agreed that there was “no normalisation” of NATO ties with Moscow and that Russia’s encroachment in Ukraine is the biggest "threat to European security and demands continued trans-Atlantic unity in confronting that threat".

Ties between NATO and Russia cannot be normalised until the Russian government stops violating Ukrainian sovereignty and engaging in cyber warfare, he said.

“We cannot return to business as usual in the NATO-Russia relations as long as Russia continues its illegal occupation of Ukraine,” he added.

 “Russia’s continued use of hybrid warfare seeks to undermine Western institutions and this stance is a significant obstacle to normalising our relations as well,” he added.

AMMAN — Nearly 12,000 rural families will benefit from a new financing agreement signed last month between Jordan and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), according to a statement from the fund.

The $12.8 million Small Ruminants Investment and Graduating Households in Transition Project (SIGHT) will ensure that small ruminant producers receive support from the public and private sectors for services that will enhance the effectiveness of small-scale livestock production systems and the incomes of small producers, the IFAD statement said.

The agreement, which was signed by IFAD’s president, Gilbert F. Houngbo and the minister of planning and international cooperation, Imad Fakhoury, includes a concessional loan of $8.4 million, as well as two grants. 

The first is a $0.5 million grant, while the second is a $3.9 million grant from IFAD’s Facility for Refugees, Migrants, Forced Displacement and Rural Stability (FARMS) to increase support for rural communities affected by forced displacement and migration, including both host communities and communities of origin for refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees and vulnerable migrants.

"This renewed financial partnership in Jordan will further enhance rural development and help Jordan in achieving its Sustainable Development Goals,” Rami Salman, IFAD’s country programme manager for Jordan, was quoted in the statement as saying.

With this new project, access to financial services will also be provided to vulnerable women, men and youth from Jordanian host communities and highly vulnerable Syrian refugees, as well as to individual entrepreneurs in need of loans for their enterprises and for on-farm and off-farm activities, including loans for the purchase of small ruminants for breed improvement and feed supply.

SIGHT will be implemented over a six-year period. It will assist in achieving the government’s strategic objectives of increased food security, poverty alleviation and improvement in the trade imbalance. 

SIGHT will focus on addressing several key problems in the small ruminant sector, such as the gradual deterioration of livestock breeds, extension and animal health services, water scarcity, feed shortages and degraded rangelands, the statement said. 

The project will also assist the country in its efforts to obtain a geographic indication for the Jordanian Awassi sheep and to help determine its potential as a unique marketing trademark.

Although the new project will be implemented in the northern and central governorates of Mafraq, Irbid, Jerash, Ajloun, Madaba and the outskirts of Amman, its institutional and technical support will reach all of Jordan’s governorates through its many implementing partners led by the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture, the statement said.

Since 1981, IFAD has financed seven agricultural development programmes and projects in Jordan with a total investment of $71.4 million or $189.5 million when co-financing is included, the statement said. 

IFAD is a leading partner in participatory development in Jordan, where it has worked with poor rural people to design programmes and projects in collaboration with the government and other partners. Activities have focused mainly on rain-fed agriculture and livestock, small farm credit, income diversification and natural resources management, according to the statement.

BRUSSELS — The sole way for achieving peace and security for Israel and Palestine is the two state solution, EU High Representative/Vice President Federica Mogherini said Tuesday.

“We in Europe believe that the only perspective for peace and security for Israel and Palestine is the two state solution and this is not out of idealism but this is out of experience,” Mogherini said during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following the first day of the NATO foreign ministers meeting.

The EU official highlighted the 2002 Arab Peace initiative, which offers Israel normal ties with the Arabs in return for withdrawal from territories it occupied in 1967, as a “ useful framework for finding a solution to the conflict”.

“We believe that any move that could derail the possibility of re-launching talks for instance moves around Jerusalem will be detrimental in immediate terms and in the perspective of opening diplomatic process in the Middle East,” she said.

In remarks to the press on the sidelines of the meetings, Germany’s acting foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, said any unilateral US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would inflame Middle East tensions.

The German official added that such a measure would a “very dangerous development”.

Early Tuesday, Mogherini met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, telling him that “any action that would undermine” peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians “must absolutely be avoided”, according to Reuters.

“A way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states,” Mogherini said, according to the news agency, stressing the EU’s support for unlocking meaningful peace talks.

She said the EU’s 28 foreign ministers will jointly discuss the matter with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Brussels next Monday, to be followed by a similar meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas early next year.

AMMAN —  His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday received a phone call from US President Donald Trump, who indicated his desire to move the US’ embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

During the phone call, King Abdullah warned of preempting a comprehensive solution that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

His Majesty emphasised that Jerusalem is key to achieving peace and stability in the region and the world.

The King affirmed that the decision will have serious implications that will undermine efforts to resume the peace process and will provoke Muslims and Christians alike.

His Majesty also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over the phone.

In the phone call, the King reaffirmed Jordan’s full support for the Palestinians in their efforts to preserve their historical rights in Jerusalem.

The King called for working jointly to deal with the ramifications of this decision and to counter any action that undermines the Palestinian people’s aspirations for their own independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

President Trump had already on Tuesday told Abbas that he intends to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a Palestinian spokesman said, amid a growing outcry across the Middle East against any unilateral US decision on the ancient city.

Senior US officials have said Trump is likely on Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he is expected to order his aides to begin planning such a move immediately. The officials said, however, that no final decisions have been made.

US endorsement of Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would break with decades of US policy that the city’s status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city.

Abbas joined a mounting chorus of voices saying the US move could unleash turmoil.

“President Mahmoud Abbas received a telephone call from US President Donald Trump in which he notified the president of his intention to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaina said.

Meanwhile, Jordan continued its diplomatic efforts to forge a collective response to the US move. 

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday continued contacts with counterparts and a number of officials to discuss the expected US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Safadi made phone calls with his counterparts of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu, Algeria, Abdul Qader Musahel and Morocco, Nasser Bourita.

He also contacted Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Saeb Erekat to draft an action plan to deal with repercussions of prospective decision, which, he said, would increase tension in the region and undermine peace efforts.

During the conversations, Safadi stressed that the fate of Jerusalem must be decided in line with international conventions based on the outcome of the final status negotiations.

He said that all unilateral Israeli measures are groundless, according to Petra.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom will call for emergency meetings to be held at the Arab League on Saturday and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Sunday.

Jordan’s Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League Ali Ayed said the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel — if taken — would have disastrous repercussions not only on Palestine, but also at the level of Arab and Islamic worlds.

in his remarks  during an extraordinary Arab League Council meeting at the level of permanent representatives called for by Palestine, Ayed noted that such a decision would have major ramifications on the peace process as a whole, and would adversely affect all efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on international legitimacy resolutions, including those related to Jerusalem.

Also on Tuesday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh called for an emergency meeting to be held on Wednesday noon to discuss Trump’s intention to move the embassy to Jerusalem, according to Petra.

In a statement carried by Petra, Tarawneh said that he will address the parliaments of Arab, Islamic and other states to urge them stand against the decision.

AMMAN — HRH Crown Prince Hussein on Tuesday met with UAE minister of state for youth affairs and president of Emirates Youth Council, Shamma Mazrui, over means of cooperation and expertise exchange between Crown Prince Foundation (CPF), the council and the Arab Youth Centre.

During the meeting that was held at Al Husseiniya Palace, Crown Prince Hussein and Mazrui highlighted the importance of such cooperation in empowering both countries’ young people, enhancing their leadership skills and encouraging them to engage in innovation and entrepreneurship, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Crown Prince commended the brotherly ties between Amman and Abu Dhabi, praising UAE‘s initiatives that seek to empower and support youth to play their deserved part in the advancement of their country.

He also emphasised the importance of investing in young people’s potential and providing them with opportunities to participate in the development process.

In another meeting at CPF, in the presence of Prince Hussein and Mazrui, Nour Abu Al Ragheb, acting CEO of the foundation, delivered a presentation on the CPF’s operation, programmes and initiatives, as well as efforts to enhance leadership skills and excellence of the Jordanian youth.

For her part, Mazrui outlined some of the Emirates Youth Council’s initiatives and educational and training programmes.

CPF in February signed a memorandum of understanding with the council aimed at enhancing cooperation at various levels, especially youth-targeted projects and exchanging expertise related to youth empowerment.

In an interview with Petra, Mazrui expressed her aspiration to develop cooperation between CPF and the UAE-based Arab Youth Centre, so as to create interactive platforms for both countries’ youth, and Arab young people in general.

Abu Al Ragheb said that the Emirati minister’s visit will contribute to exchanging expertise between the two entities, where some success stories of CPF were reviewed during the visit.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday held talks with visiting Pakistani Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on bilateral ties and the latest regional developments.

The King, during the meeting attended by Senate President Faisal Fayez, voiced Amman’s keenness to further boost cooperation ties with Islamabad in various fields, mainly at the economic, defence, parliamentary and legislative levels, according to a Royal Court statement.

Discussions also addressed the latest developments in the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian issue, Jerusalem and current efforts aimed at finding political solutions to ongoing crises in the neighbourhood, as well as regional and international endeavours in fighting terrorism within a holistic strategy.

The Pakistani official said that the Palestinian issue and Jerusalem are important, and any procedures to alter the status quo in this holy city will undermine peace efforts and will have negative repercussions on the region and the entire world.

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, member of the Jordanian-Pakistani Brotherhood Committee at the Upper Chamber Senator Ghazi Tayyeb and a Pakistani delegation accompanying Rabbani attended the meeting.

Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Hani Mulki and Rabbani discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in the Middle East.

Mulki voiced the government’s keenness on expanding cooperation between the two countries, especially in economic and trade fields, highlighting the importance of holding meetings of the joint Jordanian-Pakistani higher committee to further develop cooperation between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prime minister reviewed comprehensive reforms Jordan has implemented, noting that the political reform aimed at boosting democracy and citizens’ participation in shaping their country’s future.

On regional issues, Mulki said the Palestinian issue is a top priority of Jordan’s policy. 

He also said that forging a just settlement to the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state solution, was highly present in His Majesty King Abdullah’s frequent meetings with members of the US administration and Congress.

He referred to His Majesty’s warning against moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, which would destabilise the Arab and Muslim world, as it constitutes a breach of international legitimacy resolutions that label Jerusalem as an occupied territory.

Rabbani said that Pakistan appreciates King Abdullah’s efforts in promoting regional peace and stability, noting that the Kingdom has always been a pillar of stability in the Middle East.

The Pakistani lawmaker also said that his country looks at any decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem as a violation of international legitimacy resolutions that would have negative repercussions on the Arab and Muslim nation.

He expressed hope that his meetings with Jordanian officials would bolster Jordanian-Pakistani ties.

Fayez also met with Rabbani on Tuesday and called for fostering Jordanian-Pakistani economic, investment and trade ties, to serve aspirations of both countries’ peoples.

The meeting also went over means to bolster joint cooperation, the Mideast developments and activate mutual agreements, according to Petra.

Fayez added that both countries share common stances on several political issues, mainly in their efforts to fight terrorism and extremism.

He stressed the dire need to find a political settlement to the Palestinian issue, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, based on the two-state solution.

As for the Syrian crisis, he voiced hope for relevant global efforts to reach a political solution and give Syrian refugees a chance to return home.

For his part, the Pakistani official highlighted Islamabad’s “longstanding” ties with the Kingdom, based on mutual respect to serve joint interests.

He said his country sees eye-to-eye with Jordan on Mideast peace process and the need to empower the Palestinians to establish their sovereign state.

He added that Pakistan deems Jordan as a vital partner to achieve peace and security in the Middle East and hailed King Abdullah’s relentless efforts in reaching regional peace and stability.

AMMAN — A group of MPs on Tuesday again set a government’s cancellation of the increases to electricity and fuel prices as a precondition to attending the deliberations over the state budget law.

Following a meeting they held at the Chamber, 53 lawmakers pledged to stand firm on the issue and insist on the demands they set in a memo they had signed in which they pledged not to attend the Lower House’s deliberations of the 2018 draft state budget law unless the government reverses its recent decision to increase electricity tariffs and prices of oil derivatives.

The memorandum, which prompted the government to reach an understanding with House leaders, was signed by 90 deputies.

In remarks to journalists following their closed-door meetings, MPs Khalil Atiyyeh, Abdullah Akaileh, Khaled Fanatseh, Nabil Gheishan and Mohammad Riyati said that keeping the government’s subsidy to bread is another “irreversible” condition.

Tuesday’s meeting was seen as a complicating factor for the understandings the government reached Monday with the House’s Financial Committee under which the distribution of the JD171 million allocated in the draft budget law to beneficiaries of the social safety network was left to the panel, which is supposed to set the mechanisms and criteria of who deserves the cash support. 

The funds will make up for rising cost of living brought about by lifting subsidies on commodities that have been a fixture in the economic system for decades, mainly the bread subsidy.

As it stands now, there are two camps within the House: one supporting the deal with the government and another rejecting any compromise over the bread subsidy and electricity and fuel prices.

The second agreement the government reached with MPs on Monday was on keeping exemptions of ownership transfer fees on apartments whose areas do not exceed 150 square metres, while the third is granting beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund a monthly kerosene subsidy of JD2 during winter.

The fourth agreement is exempting electricity subscribers whose consumption does not exceed 160 kilowatts/hour from the JD0.004 raise that went into effect on Friday, as a result of the increase in oil prices to rates over $55 per barrel, the cap set by the government in 2016 to keep electricity prices unchanged.