Developing Policy-Relevant Capacity for Implementation of the Global Environmental Conventions in Jordan

Jordan is a small, middle-income country with a narrow natural resource base, water scarcity, limited oil resources, a small domestic market and a predominantly young population. It is located in a region where political and security upheavals have had severe repercussions on the country’s development.

The economic downturn of the mid-1980s and the impact of the 1991 Gulf War demonstrated the vulnerability of Jordan to external factors. The structural adjustment and macroeconomic reform programmes implemented as a result were generally successful in realizing their macro-objectives. Economic growth rates averaged 5.5 per cent between 2000 and 2006; growth in real gross domestic product reached 7.7 per cent in 2004 and 8.4 per cent in 2005. The volume of foreign direct investment amounted to $1.5 billion in 2005, and exports increased substantially. In 2000, Jordan accessed to the World Trade Organization and signed an economic association agreement with the European Union in 2002. Subsequently, free trade agreements with Singapore and the United States came into force.

Despite the repercussions of the 2003 Iraq war on its economy, Jordan has realized impressive human development results and is on track to achieve most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It ranked 86 in the Human Development Report 2006, with satisfactory indicators on life expectancy (71.6), child mortality (2.7 per cent) and maternal mortality (0.04 per cent), combined with good levels of primary and secondary school enrolment (79 per cent) and literacy (96 per cent). Nevertheless, Jordan still faces serious challenges.

The macroeconomic reforms of the past decade have not translated into tangible poverty reduction and employment generation outcomes, and the economy is fragile. Despite new social welfare and development funds and programmes, poverty stands at 14.2 per cent, and there are wide gender and geographic disparities. Twenty pockets of poverty have been identified across the country, and there is a risk that the segment of the near-poor (over 600,000 in a population of close to 6 million) will fall below the poverty line. Unemployment is estimated at 12.5 per cent, and the economy is unable to accommodate new job seekers, especially educated young men and women. The recent influx of Iraqis into Jordan has put pressure on services and infrastructure.

Considerable investments have been made in the past few years to improve social services, encourage participation in political and economic life, and enhance transparency and accountability. Inefficiencies hamper public sector management at the central and local levels, however, and progress towards decentralization is minimal. Although Jordan ranks 40th (out of 142 countries) in the Transparency International corruption perceptions index, the public perception is that corruption and nepotism are pervasive.

The Constitution guarantees equality of rights and opportunities, but female participation in political and economic life is low. Women’s share in economic activity is only 21 per cent of the economically active population, and their representation in parliament and government stands at 7.9 per cent and 10.7 per cent, respectively.

Arable land represents only 7 per cent of the land area. Jordan is one of the 10 most water-scarce countries in the world, with a per capita water availability of 153 m3 per year. Jordan is adhering to international environmental conventions and is establishing mechanisms to support their implementation. Nevertheless, population growth, rapid urbanization, industrialization, air pollution in urban areas, and low energy efficiency exert pressure on water and land resources and to generate environmental pollution.

The National Agenda and the Kuluna Al Urdun (We Are All Jordan) document, which spell out the national vision and priorities for the period 2006-2015, rest on eight pillars, including political development and inclusion; justice and legislation; financial services and fiscal reform; employment support and vocational training; and social welfare. They set ambitious objectives, most of which are in line with the MDGs.

The areas of intervention set out in the country programme document were based on the national agenda and made in consultation with all relevant entities in line with the formulation process mandated by the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The institutions involved were active members in the UNDAF working groups where consensus was reached on priorities and areas of intervention by each organization.