Jordan 4th top peaceful country in MENA

AMMAN — Jordan was ranked among the top five peaceful countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) although its global ranking dropped, according to the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2015.

The index by global think tank Institute for Economics and Peace indicated that Jordan ranked fourth among the MENA countries and was preceded by Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Oman ranked fifth, according to the ninth edition of the GPI, which classifies nations of the world according to their level of peacefulness.

To remain peaceful, Jordan spent an estimated $732 per person in 2014, according to the index, which is composed of 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources and covers 162 independent states, or 99.6 per cent of the world’s population. 

The index gauges global peace using three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation.

Although Jordan remained among the top five peaceful countries in the MENA when compared to last year, its global ranking dropped from 2014.

The report indicated that Jordan ranked 71st globally in the index compared to 56th in 2014, dropping by 15 places.

“Jordan remains one of the most peaceful countries in spite of all the conflicts and violence surrounding us. No attacks occurred and there were no cases of unrest,” Fayez Dweiri, a military expert, told The Jordan Times Thursday.

However, Jordan’s drop at the global level in the index is due to external factors, he said.

“There is unrest in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya and troubles in many other neighbouring countries. The emergence of Daesh and other terrorist groups in neighbouring countries are all issues that cause anxiety to Jordanians and are a source of concern. Thus the drop in the global ranking,” he said.

“Jordanians see pictures of killing every day. There is news about bombings and terrorist attacks and bloodshed everyday, which affects the public mood and the sense of peacefulness in the country,” said Dweiri over the phone Thursday.

According to the report, MENA countries suffered the largest decline of any region in the world, deteriorating 11 per cent over the past eight years.

The report showed that the economic impact of violence on the global economy in 2014 was substantial and is estimated at $14.3 trillion or 13.4 per cent of world GDP, which is equivalent to the combined economies of Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. 

Four regions — Europe‚ North America‚ Sub-Saharan Africa‚ and Central America and the Caribbean — experienced improvements in peace since last year.