News

Under the patronage of H.R.H. Princess Basma bint Talal, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation today launched the second National Human Development Report. To an audience of over 300 development professionals from government, civil society, the private sector and the international community, HRH Princess Basma bint Talal paid tribute to the contribution and commitment of all those present to Jordan’s development process and to addressing the challenges of poverty alleviation. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the overall sponsor of the Human Development Reports (Global, Regional and National).

The National Human Development, the second for Jordan, provides an update on human development since 1997, with up-to-date data on all key indicators disaggregated to governorate level. The 150+ page report notes that Jordan continues to make good progress towards human development goals: the human development index for Jordan has increased from 0.715 to 0.747 (on a scale of 0-1). The performance in terms of health and education targets are particularly strong. The report attributes weak economic performance to the context of regional insecurity over the last few years. Jordan ranks ninth out of nineteen Arab countries for its human development status. As the report notes: “Jordan can be proud of this achievement”.

Data for human development at the governorate level reveals that progress is being made across the country, but at different paces. Amman continues to rank first, and Ma’an in twelfth position. However, the lower-ranked governorates are catching up, possibly as a result of targeted investment. Tafile, ranked tenth for human development witnessed the highest growth in GDP index between 1997 and 2002. Ajloun, ranked fifth for its HDI and tenth for adult literacy, now has the highest educational enrolment rate for the whole country. The report notes that governorates with below-average progress are a cause for concern and that further investigation is required in order to take remedial action.

The report takes as its theme: Building Sustainable Livelihoods, and advocates for a focus on the poor so that the gains from development can be more evenly distributed. The report includes the findings of a process of consultation involving over 800 poor people in seven communities across Jordan to investigate the nature, scale and scope of poverty through the eyes of the poor themselves. Their voices, views and stories are included throughout the report and inform the analysis. The report also draws on the knowledge and experience of more than forty development-related organisations which were involved in the production of the report. Each chapter includes detailed recommendations for targeted interventions tailored to meet the needs of the poor.

Launching the report, H.E. Dr. Bassem Awadallah, the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, reiterated the commitment of the Government of Jordan to address poverty as a priority issue. He noted the importance of the roles of all partners from government, civil society and the private sector to work together towards common goals. He also thanked the international community for their continuing support to development and the reform process in Jordan.

Ms Christine McNab, speaking on behalf of UNDP noted that the Jordan report brings a national-level focus to the global discussion on how to generate an inclusive, consultative development process. The results of this report feeds back into the global knowledge bank on the problems, challenges and possible solutions for development.

In her key-note address, HRH Princess Basma bint Talal noted the need to create the space in which the poor can voice their concerns. She urged government and civil society to learn to become excellent listeners and to respond positively to meet the needs of the poor. She commended His Majesty King Abdullah’s role in promoting a truly democratic society in Jordan and urged civil society to engage actively to ensure that all citizens have a voice and are able to influence decisions that affect their lives. As she noted: “the key to poverty alleviation lies in mobilising poor communities and helping them to act collectively and responsibly”.

In their speeches, all three speakers thanked the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), the implementing agency responsible for the production of the report. They commended the quality of their work and their commitment to include the views of a wide range of stakeholders in the process, so that the report can truly be said to be “nationally owned”.

The main findings of the report were presented by Ms Eman Nimri, NHDR National Co-ordinator, and Director of ZENID. Ms Farah Daghistani, Executive Director of JOHUD, outlined the key messages of the report and urged all stakeholders to respond with action in support of the poor.

After the formal presentations, under title “We can make a difference” Ms Rana al-Hajaya spoke about local development from her perspective as mayor of al-Hassa municipality in Tafileh Governorate. Areej Bsaiso, from Sweileh Community Centre spoke about the role of volunteers working in local communities. Nour Dissi from Princess Basma Youth Resource Centre spoke about the important role that young people can play in development processes.

A series of “post-launch” activities are planned in order to disseminate the report more widely and to stimulated discussion among interested parties. It is anticipated that key stakeholders will respond with a “Strategy for Action” to indicate mechanism through which a pro-poor focus for polices and programmes can be enhanced.