UN Resident Coordinator in Jordan, Sheri Ritsema-Anderson opening remarks- “Enhancing resilience of rural women communities through Forest Products” workshop

His Excellency Eng. Khaled Al-Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture,

Eng. Nabil Assaf, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to have the honour of joining you this morning in opening the inception workshop of an important project.

I arrived three months ago as the highest-ranking representative of the United Nations development system and as the designated representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Jordan, with a mandate to supporting the people and Government of Jordan in advancing sustainable development and the eradication of poverty, ensuring that no one is left behind.

As you know, globally, we are falling dramatically behind in realizing the goal of achieving 17 sustainable development goals by 2030.

For over a year, the United Nations has been sounding an alarm on the insufficient global progress on the SDGs. Inflation, rising interest rates, looming debt burdens, and exponential increases in the cost of financing are causing us to lose ground. Growing inequalities, lack of global solidarity, and a need to reform global financial system further undermine our progress. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has asked nations throughout the world to develop a ‘rescue plan’ for how to save the people and planet.

Last year, the Kingdom of Jordan submitted to the High-Level Political Forum in New York a Voluntary National Review report assessing its progress in achieving the SDGs.

The report noted that among the greatest areas of progress were in the SDGs that aim to eliminating hunger, ensuring quality education, and access to clean water and sanitation. The Government’s report also noted that the areas of least progress was on the SDG related to decent work and economic growth, as well as the SDG on reducing inequalities.

This project will reduce poverty and unemployment, particularly amongst youth and women. As the UN Secretary-General noted in Our Common Agenda “Now is the time to think for the long term, to deliver more for young people and succeeding generations.” And while working towards equitable access to livelihoods opportunities, this project also aims to protect our planet.

What is so unique about this particular project is its focus on an under-appreciated natural resource: the Kingdom’s forests.

Importantly, the Kingdom’s forests advance environmental conservation and combat climate change, desertification and biodiversity losses.

Similar to other Mediterranean countries, a range of goods and services are generated out of Jordan’s forests. They also provide a source of livelihood and income for many people and play an essential role in the well-being of rural communities.

By enhancing the value of forest products, we can increase these communal benefits of the forest further, thereby reducing poverty and unemployment. Communities will have improved access to markets through agricultural fairs and increased access to micro-financing.

But this is not all. In parallel, communities will learn how they can generate these forest products in a manner that not only improves their economic standing, but does so in a way that conserves the forest, without affecting biodiversity.

100% of people assisted through this project will be women.

In this one project, five SDGs will be advanced, showing how much can be achieved with targeted effort.

YE Minister Al-Huneifat, I wish to express my special thank you to you for your leadership on this project, and word of commendation for the Government’s efforts to protect its environment and create livelihoods and income opportunities for its people while doing it. 

As we start preparing for the upcoming Food Systems Stocktaking Moment Forum in July, for the SDG Summit in September and for COP28 in December this year, once again Jordan’s leadership and example on creating sustainable pathways stands out.

I thank you for the excellent collaboration that exists between the United Nations and the Ministry of Agriculture in Jordan. I take this opportunity to reiterate the commitment of the United Nations to enhance collaboration with the Government and people of Jordan towards achieving the Kingdom’s sustainable development priorities.

And I wish every participant here a fruitful inception workshop today. I hope each of you will continue to champion the sustainable development goals in Jordan and beyond – to bring these goals to reality, for people and for planet.