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AMMAN — Gendarmerie Department Director Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh on Thursday received French Ambassador to Jordan David Bertolotti at the Jordan regional centre for training peacekeepers and members of gendarmerie forces.

The meeting was on the sidelines of the graduation of a training course, held in cooperation with France, to enhance the preparedness of the gendarmes. The graduation ceremony included several military exercises, including an exercise on riot combating, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — A man died on Thursday when he was hit by a vehicle in Karak, according to a Civil Defence Department (CDD) statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Also in Karak, a man died in a two-vehicle collision. In another two-vehicle collision in Sahab, eight people were injured and taken to Tutanji Public Hospital where they were listed in fair condition.

AMMAN — Israeli forces on Tuesday detained Jordanian Munir Qasim for several hours at the western side of the King Hussein Bridge and denied him exit to enter the Kingdom, according to the media team supporting Jordanian prisoners in Israel, Fedaa. Qasim, a Jordanian prisoner who was released from Israeli prisons some two months ago, went to Balaa Village in Tulkarm in 1995 to work as a carpenter, and Israeli forces arrested him in October 2005 on charges of resisting the occupation, according to previous remarks from Fedaa.

The National Committee for Jordanian Prisoners and Missing Prisoners in the Zionist Prisons on Wednesday sent a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour calling for securing Qasim’s return to Jordan and following up on the cases of Jordanian prisoners in Israel.

AMMAN — An inmate at the Swaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre died on Thursday, according to a Public Security Department (PSD) statement.

An inmate told a supervisor at the centre that one of his cellmates fell unconscious in the restroom, so he was taken to the clinic but died there, the PSD said, adding that a committee was formed to investigate the incident.

The body was referred to forensic specialists to determine the cause of death.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Water on Thursday said maintenance work on the Disi water pipeline in Amman and Zarqa for four days next week, Sunday through Thursday, does not mean that water distribution to the two governorates will be disrupted.

All other water sources will be operative at full capacity to meet the governorates’ needs, the ministry added, and the maintenance will only have a “minor impact”.

The maintenance is needed to secure water needs during summer, the ministry said in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

AMMAN — Transport Minister Ayman Hatahet on Thursday said relations between Jordan and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are deep-rooted, calling for facilitating commercial exchange, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Hatahet made his remarks during a meeting with a Gulf delegation at his ministry. Head of the delegation, Monther Al Rashed, stressed the importance of such meetings to serve the interests of all parties. The two sides also discussed cooperation in maritime, land and railway transport.

AMMAN — Tunisian Ambassador to Jordan Afifah Mallah on Thursday said the decision to exempt Jordanians from paying entrance visa fees enhances bilateral relations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

She said the decision, which entered into force in July, allows for more cooperation in political, economic, tourist, cultural and social fields. 

AMMAN — The Higher Education Council on Thursday approved the appointment of Kareem Nmeir as president of the American University in Madaba for a four-year term.

During a meeting, the council formed a committee, chaired by Abdul Rahim Hneiti, to follow up and coordinate with the concerned parties in China on the Sino-Jordanian university project, the Jordan News agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania, on Wednesday arrived for a working visit to Italy to participate in the Mediterranean Dialogue, which Rome will host this week with the participation of 40 countries.

In Rome, he met later Wednesday with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi over regional and bilateral issues, according to the Royal Court. 

During the Mediterranean Dialogue meeting, King Abdullah is due to deliver a speech addressing a host of issues such as the Middle East crises, terrorism threats and extremism, the refugee crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Royal Court said in a statement.

His Majesty is also scheduled to hold meetings with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and other Italian senior officials. 

Discussions at the meetings will cover the latest regional and international developments, in addition to tackling bilateral political and economic relations.

HRH Prince Feisal was sworn as Regent, the statement added.

NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue was initiated in 1994 by the North Atlantic Council. It currently involves seven non-NATO countries of the Mediterranean region: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, according to NATO’s website.

AMMAN — The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted on Wednesday an “historic” resolution on youth, peace and security, which, for the first time in its history, focuses entirely on the role of young men and women in peace building and countering violent extremism.

In response to HRH Crown Prince Hussein's call to engage young people and boost their contributions to peacemaking, the council adopted the resolution, which had been officially submitted by Jordan as a member. 

On his Instagram account, the Crown Prince wrote:  "I would like to congratulate the world's youth that contributed to drafting the ‘Amman Youth Declaration’ which resulted today in the adoption of an historic and unprecedented resolution by the Security Council on Youth, Peace and Security."

"The… resolution marks a new era for engaging youth as partners in peace building and in countering violent extremism, as well as empowering them to be actively involved in the decision-making process", he noted. 

The declaration was unanimously approved by the Security Council members, corresponding to the special policies drawn up by Jordan to boost the role of young people and their contribution to comprehensive development. 

The Amman Youth Declaration was adopted in Jordan in August with inputs from over 10,000 young peace builders at the first-ever Global Forum on Youth, Peace, and Security, outlining the need to leverage institutional support for youth-driven initiatives and programmes. 

The UNSC’s resolution “urges member states to consider ways to increase inclusive representation of youth in decision making at all levels” and “calls on all relevant actors, including when negotiating and implementing peace agreement, to take into account… the participation and views of youth, recognising that their marginalisation is detrimental to building sustainable peace in all societies”. 

The resolution also “calls upon all parties to armed conflict to comply strictly with the obligations applicable to them under international law relevant to the protection of civilians, including those who are youth”.

The resolution comes at a time when an estimated 600 million young people live in fragile and conflict-affected settings, and at a time when there is a rise of radicalisation and violent extremism, especially among young women and men. The resolution gives a boost to youth-led peace building and conflict prevention interventions to build peaceful communities and underpin democratic, inclusive governance, according to a UN statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

On the adoption of Resolution 2250, Ahmad AlHendawi, the UN secretary general’s envoy on youth, was quoted in the statement as saying: “This is a major breakthrough in our collective efforts to change the predominantly negative narrative on youth and recognise the significant role of young people in peace building. Youth have for too long been cast away as either the perpetrators of violence or its victims.”

“This resolution recognises the significant role young people will play in how our world adapts to today’s global challenges, including those to peace and security,” Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator, said.  “With youth comes energy, innovation and optimism — if there are supportive environments and opportunities,” she added, according to the UN statement.

“This resolution recognises that it is imperative for us to invest in young people to fulfill their potential and help achieve peace and security,” said Babatunde Osotimehin, the executive director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. 

“Let us transform the words in this historic Security Council resolution into concrete actions on the ground. UNFPA is committed to continue working in partnership with young people, member states and other partners to achieve this.”

Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, assistant secretary general for peace building support, commented: “With the adoption of SCR 2250, the Security Council is making history. The recognition that young people have a positive and constructive role to play in building sustainable peace and preserving international security will mark a shift in the way the world seeks to end violence and build inclusive and peaceful societies. Young women and men have always worked tirelessly at building peace and reconciling their communities, and with this resolution their work gets very much the recognition they deserve.”

Also in reaction to the resolution, Gwendolyn S. Myers, head of a youth-led NGO involved in peace building efforts in Liberia, noted: “A UN Security Council resolution on youth, peace and security legitimises the meaningful involvement of young people in peace and security issues and will accelerate the peace consolidation programmes particularly in Liberia, Africa, and other parts of the world.”

Crown Prince Hussein launched this international action while chairing a UN Security Council open debate in April on the “Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism and Promoting Peace”. 

At the UN session, the Crown Prince said:”The youth of today need all of you. You are the policy makers, who can impact world peace and security, and the decision makers, who can partner with young people in building efforts, instead of leaving them as a target of violence and destruction. Your generation is also in charge of drawing up education, development and economic policies.