Statement of Jordan at the 2016 WPS Debate
Jordan Participation
We reaffirm the importance of women’s full participation in efforts to achieve peace and security and the ensuring that the necessary resources and funds are available to implement these programmes. We are here today to assess the efforts of the international community, in terms not only of the settlement of conflict, but also of the empowerment of women in the context of forging of lasting peace. We are also here to assess women’s role in peace negotiations, the prevention of conflict, humanitarian assistance and the fight against extremism.
We are pursuing our efforts to strengthen the participation of women in decision- making and have made qualitative progress, as reflected in the results of the most recent parliamentary elections, which were held in September. The number of women in Parliament has increased from 12 to 24 per cent and 18 per cent of our magistrates are now women. There are also a great many Jordanian women who hold high positions.
Jordan Peacekeeping
Jordan is a pioneer regionally and internationally in its contributions to peace and security. We are a troop-contributing country and participate in dialogue and mediation efforts. Jordan is one of the largest contributors of troops to the United Nations. We also contribute police to peacekeeping missions, including 21 Jordanian women, and the number of women participating in such missions will grow. This clearly underscores the importance we attach to strengthening the role of women in peacekeeping operations.
We would like to stress the importance of adopting and taking this aspect into account in peacekeeping operations.
The Jordanian National Commission for Women, in cooperation with UN-Women and other bodies, has organized participative consultations, bringing together all relevant stakeholders and actors, including communities hosting refugees. These consultations have underscored the need to strengthen the participation of women in peacekeeping operations and to enhance the training provided and to fight against violence against women, which is often rooted in social causes.
Jordan Implementation
As members know, the Security Council recently adopted resolution 2250 (2015), on youth, peace and security, following the call of his Royal Highness Prince Al- Hussein bin Abdullah II in favour of a strengthening of the participation of youth in peace efforts. Youth are drivers of peace and they contribute to the fight against violent extremism and their participation in decision-making must be strengthened.
The Government of Jordan has committed itself to drafting a national plan for women and peace and security and to accelerating its adoption. Indeed, we firmly believe that the main victims of conflict are women and girls. Women play an essential role in forging peace, and peace cannot be established in societies without the serious and concrete participation of women. Similarly, we cannot implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development without empowering women and girls, achieving gender equality and, of course, eradicating all forms of discrimination.
Jordan Displacement
Jordan continues to suffer from an unprecedented flow of refugees, including Syrian refugees, but despite the social, economic and security burden that this places on us and the chronic lack of water and electricity, Jordan is committed to sparing no effort to provide protection and basic services to Syrian refugees, including female refugees, who constitute 51 per cent of refugees in the Kingdom. This is in keeping with the priorities for women and peace and security and the relevant Security Council resolutions.
A great many projects managed by women deployed in refugee camps and communities hosting refugees also enjoy our support. Jordan is working alongside the international community to counter extremism by all means and to fight against the exploitation of women and girls by Da’esh and other similar organizations.
In conclusion, Jordan will continue to work at all levels to strengthen the United Nations programme on women and peace and security in order to provide a better future to refugee women and girls.
Jordan Human Rights
The international community must also mitigate the suffering of women and girls under Israeli occupation, including those detained in Israeli prisons. Their rights must be upheld. We must also work hand in hand to build peace in post-conflict situations and to eradicate the causes of conflict. Women play a very important role in that regard.
Official bodies, civil society and international organizations all provide various forms of assistance in Jordan with the objective of eliminating the violence and discrimination aimed at marginalized and discriminated populations.