Welcoming remarks by Ms. Christine McNab

Jordan GEF National Dialogue Initiative Workshop

Holiday Inn Amman

19-21 September 2005

Your Excellency Mr. Maher Madadha SG MOPIC

Your Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 It is an honor to be standing here today in my capacity as UNDP Resident Representative and address you on this special event which brings together our numerous partners who are concerned with the environment.

 The Government of Jordan is signatory to several conventions that aim to preserve and protect the global environment and at the same time contribute to the conservation of local ecosystems and improvement of the living standards of Jordanians.  These conventions include but are not limited to: the United Nations Convention for Biological Diversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification; and the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change.

 UNDP’s focus in Jordan is on sharing solutions to the challenges of poverty alleviation, good governance, and environment.  We also aim to utilize the vast opportunities that information and communication technology offers us in our projects, ensure gender equality and empowering women, and support Jordan to achieve its Millennium Development Goals.

 UNDP through the Global Environment Facility has assisted Jordan in the development of its National Strategies and Action Plans for Biodiversity and for Combating Desertification.  We also supported Jordan’s development of its first national communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which sets Jordan’s policy in regards to these conventions and in achieving sustainable development and quality of life for its people.

 Together with the Government of Jordan, the Global Environment Facility and with the support of other donors, we have developed and implemented projects that have both global and local benefits.

 For example, the Reduction of Methane Emissions and Utilization of Municipal Waste for Energy in Amman project, supported by UNDP, GEF, DANIDA, and the Government of Jordan, is the first successful project in the Middle East to utilize methane gas generated in landfills and biogas generated from organic waste.  It contributes to the global objective of decreasing the emissions of methane gas, while at the same time it decreased the odors that were a major nuisance to residents of downwind areas. 

 Jordan’s unique location as a meeting point of Mediterranean and Desert climate give rise to several unique ecosystems, starting from the northwest with its mixed pine and oak forests, going to the Jordan Rift Valley and the Dead Sea Wadis, and on to the Gulf of Aqaba, the northernmost location of gorgeous corals, to the eastern desert with its unique tranquility, biodiversity, and scenery.  Together, we have implemented several projects that aim to maintain Jordan’s natural beauty and ecosystems which are of global value such as the current project of the Conservation of Biodiversity in Dibeen Project and earlier projects such as the Dana Wildland Reserve in the South, and the rehabilitation of Azraq wetland. 

 Jordan has been known throughout the millennia as a major cross road for traders between the east and west, today it is also known for being a cross road for the millions of birds in their seasonal migration.  The Jordan Rift Valley is a bottleneck for Soaring Birds, and together with GEF and 10 other countries in West Asia and Africa, we hope to mainstream the conservation of migratory soaring birds into key productive sectors along the Rift Valley/Red Sea flyway, a step that will contribute to preserving these sensitive species and also to development of eco-tourism and bird watching in Jordan.

 Working closely with the local communities is one of the elements of success in developing and implementing environmental initiatives.  The UNDP-GEF Small Grants Program (SGP), which has been operational in Jordan since 1992 recognizes the essential role that house holds and communities, applying locally appropriate solutions, can play in protecting the global environment.  In Jordan, The SGP has celebrated in 2004 the 101^st SGP project, and today they stand at 116 projects.  You will be able to see some of the products of local communities through the Small Grants Program and other environmental projects are displayed in the exhibition outside this conference.

 Today, Jordan’s GEF National Dialogue Initiative brings together key stakeholders representing a wide variety of national and local interests in sustainable development. It is a pleasure to see so many of you from different backgrounds and experiences in this workshop; governmental institutions, academia and research centers, non-governmental organizations, international donor agencies, and private sector, as well as GEF UNDP, UNEP, and World Bank representatives, and I am confident that this dialogue will be a unique forum that will facilitate the link between formal, professional knowledge, and informal local knowledge to address national GEF related concerns.

 Finally, I would like to express my thanks to the Global Environment Facility and the Government of Jordan for recognizing the importance of this event and for the excellent work that has been done in organizing this workshop.  In particular, I would like to thank the staff of the Ministry of Environment and the staff of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

 I sincerely hope that as we prepare for, and continue to engage in this national dialogue, you will join us to be part of the national drive to save the environment for development that will benefit not only us but also our children, grandchildren and future generations.