All human, all equal: Rebuild better, fairer, greener UN in Jordan calls for 2022 to be a year of action for human rights

Addressing the National Governmental Conference “Decreasing Inequalities and Enhancing Human Rights in Jordan” on Saturday, Anders Pedersen, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Jordan said: “successive financial, humanitarian and the latest health crises- COVID-19- have hampered the realization of the 2030 Agenda and have had a long-lasting and multidimensional impact, especially on millions of young people worldwide, including in Jordan”.

Thus, protecting rights of young people through access to quality education, training, mental health support, decent jobs and social protection, is critical, stressed Pedersen, adding that the “COVID generation” runs the risk of falling prey to mounting inequality and poverty”.

According to Pedersen, women have also been severely affected, through job losses, facing increased gender-based violence and lacking political participation, - as are persons with disabilities, people living in poverty, older persons, migrants and refugees.

He referred to the 2030 Agenda, which is underpinned by human rights, as “the comprehensive blueprint for sustainable recovery from the pandemic and to further advance the realization of human rights for all people everywhere, without discrimination”.

The Government of Jordan will present its assessment of progress made in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through submitting a Voluntary National Review report to the United Nations in July 2022, which, as Pedersen highlighted, “provides an opportunity to take stock and accelerate protection and promotion of human rights including through the Universal Periodic Review process in 2023 -with the meaningful participation especially of young people”.

The United Nations stands ready to support the implementation of recommendations addressed to Jordan by United Nations human rights mechanisms, which could build a BETTER, FAIRER and GREENER future for all, concluded Pedersen.

Human Rights Day, celebrated annually, to honor the adoption of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights in 1948.

This year’s theme is “Equality”. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration stipulates - “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” and the principles of equality and non-discrimination are at the heart of human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which aims at “leaving no one behind”. According to the World Inequality Report 2022, the MENA region is the most unequal region in the world where the share of the top 10% of income is around 58%.

“Inequalities stem from policy choices. We need to reverse years of under- investment in economic, social and cultural rights, and be bolder in repositioning public expenditure to prioritize people and their rights,” said Christina Meinecke, Senior Human Rights Adviser to the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan.

She added that “rebuilding fairer requires reversing long-standing practices of inequality and poverty and strengthening the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. That vision is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, captured in SDG 10: reduce inequality within and between countries”.