First national workshop for Stockholm +50 conference kicks off

AMMAN — The first national workshop for the Stockholm +50 conference, organised by the Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the support of the Swedish and Kenyan governments, kicked off on Monday.

The workshop included a presentation on the history of the conference, highlighting Jordan's position within the main themes of the conference, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

UNDP said that the series of national workshops bring together representatives from various public, private and civil society institutions to provide “clear-cut recommendations” on the national and the sectorial priorities. The workshops promote concepts related to climate change and sustainable environment-friendly solutions, which will be discussed at the Stockholm +50 conference, slated for June.

The upcoming conference will mark the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which aims to create a global vision to make the planet healthy and prosperous. It also aims to help the world recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and speed up the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Jordan has taken many steps and showcased several success stories since the Stockholm Conference in 1972 at the institutional, legal and technical levels, said Mohammad Khashashna, secretary general of the Ministry of Environment. For instance, the Kingdom has promoted integration among the public and private sectors, civil society institutions, and partners from international organisations and donor countries to protect the environment, he said.

He said that the Kingdom signed most of the multilateral environmental agreements and abides by their requirements, such as Rotterdam, Basel, biodiversity, the Paris Agreement. 

He pointed out that the conference is an opportunity to promote national priorities that protect the environment and achieve sustainable development.

Sweden's Ambassador Alexandra Rydmark stressed that the environment and climate change sector are top priorities for the Swedish government and the Swedish Embassy in Jordan, noting that Stockholm +50 will speed up action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNDP Resident Representative in Jordan Randa Aboul-Hosn said that Stockholm +50 is an incentive to take action for a healthy and prosperous planet. 

Its success, she noted, will be measured by “achieving collective action, partnerships and initiatives for nature-based solutions”, to be developed as a result of discussions during the upcoming international meeting with a focus on engaging women, youth and disadvantaged groups.