Represented by the Secretary of the Higher Population Council (HPC), Dr. Abla Amawi, Jordan participated in the meetings of the 52nd session of the Commission on Population and Development which took place at UN Headquarters in New York between (1-5/4/2019). This year, the session addressed the topic of “review and appraisal of the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, with representatives from many Arab states and other countries present.
During a high-level interactive panel on key findings and recommendations of the regional conferences on population and development, Amawi presented, on behalf of the Arab States, a report on the Regional Review of the 2013 Cairo Declaration by the Arab world.
While presenting the Jordan position paper on the “review and appraisal of the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, Amawi reaffirmed Jordan’s commitment towards international conferences concerned with population and development and the adoption of their outcomes, including the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development that was held in Cairo in 1994.
Furthermore, she noted that Jordan took into consideration the sustainable development priorities and developed a road map for the implementation of 2030 development agenda. Jordan 2025 involves a holistic approach to objectives that is based on the achievement of a prosperous and planned economy, deepening of reforms and integration of sustainable development objectives in the national and local frameworks, budgets and statistical systems and following-up to realize such objectives.
She indicated that the significant achievements of Jordan in the area of population and development issues are a result of the adoption of an integrated approach that is based on the investment in individual capacities, dignity and human rights as the basis of sustainable development. In addition to making education accessible to everyone, facilitating access to and ensuring the quality of health services and having a strategy to eradicate poverty in place. Other factors include inclusive social protection, political and economic empowerment of youth and women and adoption of a participatory approach which promotes public-private partnership and partnerships between civil society organizations.
Amawi pointed out that despite the achievements, many challenges remain imposed. One of the most important of these challenges is the continued negative consequences of regional crises on Jordan’s progress towards sustainable development. There are approximately 3 million non-Jordanians in Jordan, comprising 31% of the population, including 1.3 million Syrian. The effects of these crises have resulted in high population growth rates, increased need for provision of basic services, strain of budget, high unemployment and poverty rates, slowed economic growth and increased public debt, noting that in order to sustain development gains, Jordan developed a response plan for the Syria crisis in addition to strengthening the close cooperation between states to protect the rights of refugees and maintain the resilience of host communities.
Furthermore, Amawi stressed that the realization and investment of the anticipated demographic opportunity in Jordan calls for alignment between the demographic changes and the targeted investment in education, health, economic and social development and employment creation for youth. Noting that promoting women’s empowerment, achieving equality, reviewing legislation, promoting a policy environment that is supportive of women’s work and access to inclusive and equal rights and protecting women from all forms of discrimination and violence will be reflected positively on ensuring better reproductive health outcomes for young women.
Regarding the statement made by Amawi on behalf of the Arab states during the high-level interactive panel on the Regional Review of the 2013 Cairo Declaration by the Arab world, which was carried out by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in 2018 in partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Arab League and peaked with the convening of the Arab Regional Conference on Population and Development last year in Beirut, Amawi noted that the Regional Review demonstrated the efforts of governments in the development of strategies and programs that would alleviate poverty, ensure the empowerment of youth and women and access to reproductive health, address the refugee crisis which is affecting many countries and meet the needs of the most vulnerable groups, pointing out that the Review covered serious efforts in relation to the policies on international migration, environmental sustainability and partnerships with non-governmental actors.
The Regional Review revealed that progress has been insufficient, according to Amawi. Large segments of society remain exposed to poverty, poor health and isolation. Moreover, persistent inequalities in countries, especially between rural and urban areas, compromise the Government’s ability to ensure that society members do not fall behind and that they enjoy rights and equality. Other factors that could compromise the Government’s ability include the continued marginalization of women in relation to economic participation, gender-based discrimination, high rates of child marriages and forced marriages, high unemployment rates among Arab youth and structural and cultural impediments facing youth, older persons, refugees and persons with disabilities that limit their economic social and political integration.
Amawi noted that the Review contributed to the appraisal of a wide range of challenges and served to reaffirm the commitment of Arab states in implementing the values and objectives of the 2013 Cairo Declaration in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, stating that many messages emerged from the Arab Regional Conference. One of the most important of which is that the achievement of population and development objectives depends on the existence of a human rights-based approach on population issues, integration of population priorities in national development planning, ensuring adequate budgets and designing effective follow-up mechanisms.
Another key message that emerged from the conference is the importance of incorporating population issues, including population growth, internal migration and urban development to ensure environmental sustainability and achieve the well-being of citizens, Amawi added. She also stated that the responsibility for ensuring the incorporation of all social groups and the protection of such groups through reforms of national policy frameworks, development of universal social protection schemes, provision of comprehensive health care and promotion of wider participation in public policy-making lies with the countries. She also added that in order to ensure a prosperous future for citizens, efforts to empower youth and provide the necessary education and skills as well as suitable employment opportunities for them must be spent.
It is worth noting that this session’s meetings aim to discuss actions for the further implementation of the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development at the global, regional and national levels. It also aims to review and appraise the Program of Action and its contribution to the follow-up and review the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in addition to discussing the demographic dividend in Arab states and how to achieve it. Furthermore, the meetings discuss the key outcomes and recommendations of the regional conferences on population and development.
