UN agencies take part in sessions with public over SDGs, human rights

AMMAN — “As a consequence of the regional turmoil, Jordan is currently facing very difficult challenges that require a collective response from all partners,” UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan Anders Pedersen said on Saturday, stressing that the UN “will continue to pursue the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] and the principle of leaving no one behind to always reach the most vulnerable first”. 

“We [the UN] won’t give up on Jordan, and we want you to hold us accountable for our commitment to support the country in realising the SDGs and in upholding human rights,” the official continued, thanking the Jordanian government, the donor community and all development and humanitarian partners in the Kingdom for their “continued trust” in the UN. 

The remarks came during the opening of a series of seminars held under the framework of the SDGs in commemoration of the 73rd United Nations Day, which saw the attendance of over 250 youth from across the Kingdom who joined the UN agencies to increase their knowledge on development and humanitarian assistance. 

The event celebrated the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945, which marked the birth of the UN after its ratification the five permanent members of the Security Council. 

“Every day, the women and men of the UN work to give practical meaning to the charter despite the odds — because we never give up,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a video played during the opening ceremony, expressing that “by reducing inequality, we increase hope, opportunities and peace around the world”.

“The challenges are moving faster than we are, but we do not give up,” the official stressed, expressing the UN’s commitment “to repair broken trust , to heal our planet, to leave no one behind and to uphold dignity for one and all as the United Nations”. 

“Seventy three years ago, the world witnessed the horrors of World War II, but world leaders did not give up. They rose to the challenges of their time, came together in the true spirit of multilateralism to promote peace, and formed the UN,” Pedersen said, highlighting the importance of UN coherence in achieving the SDGs. 

“The UN secretary general has embarked on a bold reform agenda that underscores the need to enhance integration, coherence, and efficiency of the UN development system,” he continued, noting that the document “puts greater emphasis on prevention to address the root causes of instability, vulnerability, exclusion and conflict”.

The inaugural seminar, entitled “What are the SDGs, and why should I care?” brought together participants willing to learn more about the 17 goals and their relevance to the Kingdom. 

The event witnessed a Q&A session where representatives of the UN in Jordan discussed the work of the different agencies.

Questioned about the possibility of establishing a new UN mechanism in light of the current challenges, Pedersen said, “the UN is not only its representatives, but all of its member states and their people, and we have to keep on working all together to further develop the UN. While it is right that human rights are currently facing increasing challenges, that is exactly why we need  to stand up for human rights and not let us slide backwards”.

Over the course of the day, UN experts and government representatives conducted a total of 16 seminars addressing topics linked to the SDGs and the UN Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF), which represents the five-year strategic plan agreed between the Jordanian government and the UN.

Tobacco control, cybercrime and drugs protection, human trafficking, women’s economic empowerment, youth empowerment, renewable energy, women in the media, human rights and refugee livelihoods were some of the topics addressed in the sessions.  

On the sidelines of the seminars, an exhibit of all UN agencies operating in Jordan gave participants the chance to stop and speak to UN staff, and receive more information about the work of the specific agencies in the Kingdom.