Partners in Creating the Future
The Higher Population Council Concludes World Population Day Events
The Higher Population Council Concludes World Population Day Events
Thursday, 18 July 2019

On Thursday, the Higher Population Council, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and under the auspices of the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr.  Mohammed Al-Assas, held the closing ceremony for the series of events organized by HPC in cooperation with partners during the period (11-18 July 2019) to mark World Population Day with this year’s theme “25 years since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development: A Promise Expedited”.

One of the key events that took place during this period was a drawing contest on "Youth and Unemployment", which was carried out in cooperation with the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Jordan to raise awareness of population and development issues related to youth and their empowerment as a key element to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development.

In addition, a workshop was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth on "national standards for youth-friendly reproductive health", with the participation of the Ministry of Youth’s Secretary-General, Dr. Thabet Al Nabulsi and the directors of youth departments and centers in the Ministry. The workshop aimed to introduce the national standards to the participants and set the necessary mechanisms for applying these standards within the relevant national institutions.

During the closing ceremony on Thursday, “The National Standards for Youth-friendly Reproductive Health Services” paper, which sets a framework for applying the standards in the centers that wish to provide reproductive health information and services for youth at the national level, was launched. These standards aim to provide high-quality reproductive health services to young people and help policymakers and health planners improve the quality of health services in order to facilitate young people’s access to such services and protect and improve their quality of life.

The standards included youth’s empowerment in terms of health and the announcement of reproductive health services, promoting youth support, providing adequate reproductive health services and information, the efficiency of service providers, the specifications and characteristics of delivery points, equity, justice and non-discrimination, improving the quality of data and information and youth participation.

During the ceremony, the winners of the drawing contest on "Youth and Unemployment" were honored with students Jumana Abdul Razzaq Al Shafei, Celine Sherif Hatouq  and Suad Salah Sahotah winning the first, second and third places, respectively. The Performing Arts Center / King Hussein Foundation presented a play entitled “Not Shameful (Mosh E’ib)” which emphasizes the youth need for reproductive health information and services.

HPC’s Secretary,  Dr.  Abla Amawi / the delegate of the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr. Mohammed Al-Assas, stressed that the observance of this year's World Population Day constitutes an opportunity to raise awareness on and advocate for population and development issues, as well as to mobilize the political support beyond the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. It also  draws the world’s attention to  ICPD’s unfinished issues and overcoming the challenges facing them and reaching concrete national commitments to ensure the implementation of ICPD Program of Action.                      

Furthermore, Dr. Amawi stated that in light of its commitment to the ICPD Program of Action, Jordan has witnessed economic, social, human and political transformations in all aspects of life, which have been translated into concrete improvements in various fields, including the promotion of reproductive health rights within the human rights system, the promotion of gender equality, the empowerment of women and youth and the response to the dimensions of forced and voluntary migrations.

Bouchti Mrabet, UNFPA Humanitarian Coordinator, reiterated UNFPA’s commitment to supporting the outcomes of population conferences and sustainable development goals and to providing all available means to implement these international programs and plans, especially those related to population and women. Mr. Mrabet noted the importance of partnering with HPC to place population and reproductive health issues within GoJ’s priorities

On the sidelines of the World Population Day celebration events, HPC intends to organize several events during the month of July, most notably is a participatory meeting that will be held in cooperation with the University of Jordan on "population variables… the present and future” to review the national achievements related to population indicators, as well as to organize a symposium in cooperation with the Institute of Family Health Care, the Scottish University of Edinburgh and the University of West Scotland on "refugees health through a changing landscape.. through scientific evidence and the implication of practicing."

During its participation in the conference on "Inequality and Urban Integration in Jordan" organized by the University of Jordan in cooperation with UNESCO, HPC will present two lectures on "inequality in terms of the population opportunity" and "equality in terms of sustainable development goals" in addition to presenting a lecture on "population policies and demographic dimensions and their role in achieving sustainable development" to the students of the Faculty of Mass Communication at Yarmouk University.