First edition of Social Protection Summit brings together CSOs, public sector

AMMAN — The first edition of the Social Protection and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Summit gathered over 350 participants — including CSO representatives, institutions supporting the National Social Protection Strategy, and the private sector —  at Al Hussein Cultural Centre Theatre in Amman.

The summit, organised with the support of the European Union and Expertise France in partnership with the Crown Prince Foundation, provided a platform for networking and sharing information on the implementation of and the contribution of CSOs to the National Social Protection Strategy, in order to explore ways of further developing collaboration, according to a statement from the organisers.

The high-profile event highlighted that CSOs werekey partners that can help the Government fill gaps and address social challenges to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, underlining the pivotal role of this partnershipto deliver tangible outcomes for citizens.

Thematic workshops on poverty and exclusion, De-Institutionalisation (transforming care for persons with disabilities and securing inclusion for them) and women’s economic empowerment helped identify the main obstacles and success stories in order to build on “what works”.

Another series of workshops focused on shared values and tools to enhance the contribution of CSOs to social protection, such as social justice, active citizenship, volunteering, partnerships and open dialogues. They also included discussions on how CSOs could play a more effective role if they were specialised, worked in partnership and formed coalitions, and how the Ministry of Social Development can provide further support.

Furthermore, a Code of Ethics for Collaboration between the ministryand CSOs was officially launched during the summit.

Contributors to the summit expressed the wish that it be turned into an annual event, institutionalising fruitful dialogue to reinforce consensus about priorities for optimising the use of all existing skills and resources.

Minister of Social Development Wafa Bani Mustafa said that this event reflects “the government’s policy of paying attention to Civil Society Organisations, at all levels, whether in human rights, or decision-making and policy-making in the field of social protection, for a cohesive society (…) and implementation of the National Social Protection Strategy 2019-2025.”

European Union Ambassador to Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou underlined that the European Union “firmly believes in the need to nurture a space where the positive impact of the work of the CSOs is communicated, celebrated, and driven forward within communities in Jordan. We hope to see similar summits in the future in order to strengthen the collaborative approach towards improving social protection in Jordan. The EU is committed to continue working with the Ministry of Social Development and all stakeholders towards inclusive social systems for those in need.”

Expertise France Middle East Regional Coordinator, Claire Lautier, said: “For the Expertise France Team implementing the ‘CSO Component’ of the EU ‘Support to Social Protection Programme’ in partnership with MoSD, this summit shows that thereis strong determinationamong all stakeholders to join forces and optimise resources, knowing that we are, always, ‘Stronger Together’.”

On the margins of the summit, a workshop, organised by Expertise France in partnership with Lapis Communications and Al Balad Theatre, was held to encourage young people to contribute to social protection and engage with CSOs, by supporting them to produce creative communication material.

The summit saw the participation of the Ministry of Social Development; the National Aid Fund; national consultative bodies such as the Higher Council for Persons with Disabilities; the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Women's Empowerment; the Crown Prince Foundation, and many others.

The event included an exhibition of handmade products, demonstrating how CSO beneficiariescan promote economic empowerment.

The CSO Component of the EU-funded Support to Social Protection in Jordan Programme is implemented by Expertise France in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development.

It aims to promote partnerships between CSOs and the ministry, as well as other public authorities, to improve social protection policies and social service delivery. The programme was launched in April 2019 and continues into 2023.