UN representatives praise Jordan's progress towards SDGs

AMMAN — Representatives of the UN agencies operating in Jordan on Wednesday gathered to discuss the next strategic planning framework of cooperation between the government and the UN for 2018-2022.

Held on the occasion of the UN Day, marked annually on October 24, the press conference provided an overview of the 17 UN agencies' work in Jordan, focusing on the national achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"We are coming together today to show our willingness to collaborate in achieving the UN four fundamental objectives of peace and security, friendly relations between countries, international cooperation in solving crises and the promotion of respect for human rights," said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan Anders Pedersen.

 “Through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world has agreed on a plan of action for people, for the planet, for prosperity, for peace and for partnership,” he continued, stressing the need to overcome international and national differences to attain these goals. 

“This agenda is a collective responsibility, and Jordan has played a major role in achieving the SDGs, vis-à-vis the Arab states and also globally,” said Constanza Farina, UNESCO representative to Jordan. 

She stressed the “exemplary cooperation” of the Jordanian government in the process, referring to the presentation of the Voluntary National Review at the High Level Political Forum in July, which was previously conducted by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. 

Outlining the various challenges facing Jordan in the field of food and water security, Jordan’s representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Nasredin Hag Elamin commended Jordan’s efforts in conserving water resources and seeking alternative sources of water.

“Jordan is facing extreme challenges in the field of water scarcity, as the level of water use is now exceeding the renewable supply,” he noted.

“However, the Kingdom has also made outstanding progress by becoming one of the first countries to achieve food security (SDG 2) by 2015,” he continued. 

For her part, United Nations Population Fund representative Laila Baker stressed the importance of continuing to support Jordan in achieving gender equality and ensure women’s rights. 

“While Jordan used to be a model of gender equality, the refugee influx has put a strain on its resources causing the level of access to key services such as reproductive health and women’s access to the formal labour market to decrease,” Baker said.

“We need to join efforts to help Jordan get back to the status of regional model it used to have,” she continued.

All representatives praised Jordan’s “exemplary” response to the Syrian crisis, commending its support to refugees over the past six years. They praised the level of cooperation between all parties, including the governmental bodies, the civil society, the NGOs and the private sector, among others.

“Jordan has had a very big heart through its open door policy and it is remarkable to see what it has achieved in spite of such a volatile environment,” Pedersen said.

“More than the SDGs, I want to focus on the LNOB or Leave No One Behind policy,” he added, urging for a collaborative approach among all agencies to serve the citizens, with a special focus on the people living in remote or underprivileged areas.

Asked about the country’s achievements made in relation to the SDGs so far, UNDP representative Sara Ferrer Olivella said: “The Global Agenda is above all an inspirational roadmap towards a better world. These targets were designed to focus world countries’ efforts in achieving progress within a coherent framework and Jordan is very well placed on the route to attain them.” 

The 17 SDGs and 169 targets included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development were officially announced in January 2016.

They seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals by realising the human rights of all, and achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, according to a UNDP statement.