The Higher Population Council (HPC) participated in the Arab Regional Conference on Population and Development Challenges and Prospects Ten Years after the Cairo Declaration for the year 2013. According to a statement issued by the HPC Monday, the two-day conference was held at the United Nations headquarters in Beirut last week. Its goal was to provide a common platform for brainstorming and discussions between Arab countries and stakeholders, allowing for the exchange of lessons learned and enable the governments of Arab countries to review the progress and challenges in implementing the commitments of the Cairo Declaration and to explore policy solutions to speed up its implementation. The statement indicated that this conference came within the context of the sixth regional review of the International Conference on Population and Development in the Arab States/Cairo Declaration 2013, providing the opportunity to present the main results of the regional review report on the progress made in implementing the Declaration, which collects the outcome of data and information stated in the national review reports. Jordan’s national review indicated that the last five years of action to implement the Cairo Declaration imposed difficult circumstances, exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic and its ramifications, which doubled the economic, social and political challenges and political instability in the region and had impacts on large segments of the Jordanian population. Nonetheless, the presentation also highlighted remarkable progress in many health, social, economic, political and educational fields in Jordan, not excluding challenges, most notably the complex repercussions of the Corona pandemic, global economic challenges, political instability in the Arab region, the refugee crisis, and the Russian-Ukrainian war. The population of Jordan has more than doubled over the past two decades, reaching 11.4 million people in mid-2023, with waves of refugees contributing more than half of this increase. Refugees have increased demographic, economic, environmental and security burdens, the presentation showed. Jordan is committed to allocating financial resources and providing the necessary human and technological capabilities to integrate population issues into planning, but as a result of the economic challenges it faces, there is a need for more financial and technical support in this field. The Kingdom has also ratified many international human rights treaties and agreements and has adopted and developed many national policies, strategies and plans consistent with human rights principles, as well as national, regional and international standards to promote various civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The conference concluded with a set of recommendations, the most prominent of which were increasing financing to build institutional capacity, developing effective policy frameworks, implementation mechanisms and coordination between sectors, enhancing data collection and analysis, investing in research to support evidence-based policy making and efforts to mainstream gender equality and enhance sexual and reproductive services. It also recommended adopting a comprehensive approach for all stages of life and strengthening regional dialogue and cooperation to enhance population and development programs in the region and address cross-border challenges, including forced displacement, climate change, and food insecurity.

Source. Jordan News Agency