40 years on, gov't looks to further cooperation with UNDP — PM

AMMAN — The visit of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, along with World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim to Jordan earlier this week underscores the UN's support for the Kingdom amidst the current regional turmoil, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said late Tuesday.

Speaking at an event organised by the UNDP to celebrate 50 years of its work globally and 40 years in Jordan, Ensour said that the visit also shows commitment of the two institutions to continue supporting the Kingdom either directly or through working with the international community for that purpose.

During the Sunday visit, Kim announced a $100 million interest-free loan to Jordan to provide job opportunities for 100,000 Jordanians and Syrians, while Ban underscored the importance of peace and stability in the region, as it has implications on the entire world.

The UN’s 17 agencies working in Jordan and their teams have provided much to the Kingdom through partnerships with the government, the premier said, adding that the UNDP was one of these agencies and “is considered a main partner to the government in its development process since 1976”.

The UNDP's contribution is evident through funding and implementing several projects and initiatives in all sectors, Ensour noted, adding that these prominent projects include poverty reduction, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and strengthening democratic governance.

He expressed the government’s interest in strengthening collaboration with the UN agency to counter the different challenges caused by regional developments and to support Jordan in implementing its national priorities.

In addition, he highlighted the need of working together with the Kingdom in implementing results of the London donor conference.

Meanwhile, Edward Kallon, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Jordan, stressed that the UNDP will continue to lead efforts to respond to the development needs of the Kingdom.

Addressing the audience, he said the UN agency will prioritise several fields of support in the next 15 years to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into national development plans and put in place structures to help coordinate multi-sectoral initiatives that cut across different ministerial mandates.

In addition, Kallon added that the agency will continue to support Jordan to improve governance, rule of law and women empowerment. 

The UNDP will also assist the Kingdom in attracting and managing development finance from vertical funds and international financial institutions to allow the growth of a dynamic private sector.

For her part, UNDP Country Director Zena Ali Ahmad said the agency will focus in the upcoming years on supporting the implementation of the international development agenda that succeeded the Millennium Development Goals, and integrate it into national plans and development strategies.

Over the past 40 years, UNDP has implemented up to 300 projects in different development fields in Jordan, according to Ahmad.