UN launches “Socio-economic framework for COVID-19” response in Jordan

Today, the United Nations Country Team launched its Socio-Economic Framework (SEF) for the COVID-19 Response in Jordan.

The SEF will serve as the UN’s roadmap to support the Government of Jordan’s efforts to address the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 by repurposing and scaling up the UN’s development response in Jordan.  The Framework complements the national COVID-19 Health Plan and humanitarian assistance for refugee populations in camps, in urban settings and vulnerable host communities.

In a video message for the launch, Anders Pedersen, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan, stressed that “few countries in the world have responded as effectively and as efficiently to the impact of the COVID-19 as Jordan”. 

“Jordanian authorities have successfully minimized the number of infections and deaths, while progressively taking on board the urgent socio-economic needs of its people”, Pedersen added.

The Framework includes five pillars: protecting health; protecting people; economic recovery; macro-economics and multilateral cooperation; and social cohesion and resilience.  For each pillar, the UN has assessed the impacts of the crisis to help understand what is needed to simultaneously address immediate and medium-term needs, while not losing sight of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Sara Ferrer Olivella, UNDP Resident Representant and technical co-lead for the development of the SEF, noted that: “COVID-19 has revealed widening cracks in our societies, economies and planet. Building more resilient social, economic and environmental systems has to be a must and not an afterthought.” Ferrer Olivella added that “recovering better is not an option – it is a necessity”.

To do this, the UN knows that we must work closely with partners to leverage programming, policy and convening assets with the institutional capacities, expertise and financial resources brought by others.  Pedersen stressed that “Only by working together can we forge a strong recovery, including to live up to the Agenda 2030 promise, of leaving no one behind”.

To meet this ambitious goal, the SEF includes five ‘accelerators’ to fuel Jordan’s recovery and support a more equal, prosperous, forward leaning Jordan.  The accelerators include:   i) Equity and Inclusiveness to tackle both new and pre-existing vulnerabilities;  ii) an integral Gender Focus to address gender gaps and structural inequities; iii) Digital Transformation for innovation and progress in public and social services as well as business and economic initiatives; iv) Sustainability that emphasizes green solutions for a better future; and v) Preparedness to strengthen systems to efficiently maintain access to health, public and basic services, education, social assistance and business during times of crisis.