Ushering in 2022 with added determination

It is once again the beginning of a new eventful year. This is an apt time to reflect on the achievements and challenges that the Kingdom witnessed in 2021 and continue in the year ahead with determination and enthusiasm to make it a better one.

The passing year was momentous and eventful, both negative and positive, with far-reaching results. In 2021, Jordan marked its centennial of the foundation of the country upon the arrival of His Majesty the late King Abdullah I in Maan in November 1920. 

In 2021, His Majesty King Abdullah received the outcome report of the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System, which he directed be formed to help realise the desired democratic model in the Kingdom. The committee’s wide-ranging recommendations, which are supported at the highest levels, lay the foundations for serious and effective party-based work and include amendments to the Constitution.

The year 2022 started with a positive note in this regard as the Lower House approved the first group of the Royal Committee’s constitutional amendments. 

One of the most contentious amendments, passed by the Lower House, was a change to the constitution to allow for the use of both feminine and masculine pronouns when addressing Jordanian citizens. The move, hailed by activists, is a step in the right direction. 

The new approved amendments also include some articles on enhanced protection for the rights of people with disabilities, safeguarding motherhood, childhood and the elderly, which all fall in line with the King’s vision for increased participation by all, especially youth and women, in the decision-making process.

However, another issue that warrants urgent action is the unprecedented unemployment crisis in the country.

Jordan is continuing its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed the lives of 12,742 people in the Kingdom.

 At the regional level, Jordan continued to play its pivotal role in defending the Palestinian cause and the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. Jordan never ceased to lend a helping hand for neighbouring countries. Jordan’s hosting refugees of various nationalities over the decades is a testament to that. Amman’s efforts that led to the signing of a deal with Syria, Lebanon and Egypt to help Lebanon in its energy crisis is another example of Jordan’s outreach to countries in distress.

Despite a myriad of challenges, His Majesty King Abdullah steers the nation in the right direction, and Jordan remains a bastion of safety and stability and interfaith harmony thanks to the Hashemite legacy. 

We wish a happy and prosperous new year to all. A year that is full of achievements that make us all safer, healthier and happier.