Bilateral meetings with H.E. Jafar Hassan, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Jordan, and other Government Ministers

Amman - During his official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, from 3 to 5 June, the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, held bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister and other relevant Government Ministers.

The Director-General met with H.E. Jafar Hassan, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, during which he welcomed the Director-General to Jordan and expressed his appreciation for the increased partnership and cooperation with FAO, especially in the face of the ongoing challenges affecting the country due to the impacts of climate change and water scarcity.

The Director-General commended the important steps taken by the Government to transform its agrifood system and improve the livelihoods of its people. In this respect, the Director-General indicated that the conferment of the FAO Agricola Medal to His Majesty King Abdullah II was a testimony to His Majesty’s exceptional leadership and vision in transforming Jordan and leading country efforts to transform its agrifood system, which was deeply rooted in a commitment to human dignity and prosperity.

The Prime Minister and the Director-General agreed to continue strengthening bilateral cooperation to enhance food security in Jordan and in the region, and emphasized the role of regional cooperation, as well as FAO’s key role in providing the technical expertise needed to support regional initiatives related to food security, data, value chains and animal health, among others.

The Director-General also met with H.E. Zina Toukan Minister for Planning and International Cooperation during which the Minister provided an overview of national strategies including Economic Modernization and the Food Security Strategy, emphasizing the key role of FAO in supporting their implementation, especially with regard to technical support in addressing the increasing challenges of climate change and water scarcity.

The Director-General highlighted that Jordan had demonstrated strong regional leadership under His Majesty King Abdullah II by keeping food security at the forefront of its national agenda, and stating that the country had made commendable progress in advancing food security despite the many challenges due to the climate crisis and water scarcity. The Director-General reaffirmed FAO’s continued support especially to the agriculture and water sectors in Jordan.

The pair agreed on the importance of reliable statistics and data and that Jordan, as the Regional Food Security Observatory for the Mashreq, was well positioned to serve as a regional hub for agricultural innovation. They also agreed to work together to strengthen agriculture cooperatives through improved market access, access to resources, and boosting value chains and agricultural productivity and sustainability. 

The Director-General also met with H.E. Khaled Hneifat, Minister for Agriculture, during which the Minister commended the excellent collaboration with FAO and the continued technical support provided for the transformation of the country’s agrifood system, which was a national priority. In this regard, the Minster referred to FAO’s support for the implementation of the National Food Security Strategy, agricultural modernization, and the adoption of innovative solutions to tackle climate change and water scarcity.

The Director-General commended the Minister for his key role in advancing Jordan’s agriculture sector and increasing agricultural production and exports. The pair agreed that new scientific advances and Artificial Intelligence innovation offered promising opportunities and agreed to discuss the establishment of a high-tech demonstration farm to strengthen training and capacity development in the agriculture sector. The pair further agreed to continue collaborating to support Jordan’s role as a center for agricultural innovation, emergency preparedness, and agrifood systems transformation in the region, including by identifying further ways to support the rehabilitation and recovery of agrifood systems in neighboring countries with a view of enhancing regional food security.

During his visit, the Director-General also met with H.E. Muawieh Al-Radaideh, Minister for Environment, during which the Minister conveyed his appreciation for the growing partnership and collaboration with FAO and proceeded to provide an overview of the work of the Ministry, in particular its programmes to address the increasing impacts of climate change and water scarcity. In this regard, the Minister referred to the government’s efforts to advance Jordan’s climate adaptation and mitigation efforts in the face of increasing challenges and climate actions to increase the renewable energy share of the economy.

The Director-General commended Jordan’s leadership in advancing climate resilience, green growth, and sustainable development, while dealing with increasing challenges, and reiterated FAO’s readiness to continue supporting country efforts, while prioritizing biodiversity conservation, climate action, sustainable waste management, and enhanced environmental awareness. The Director-General also referred to the FAO-Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded project “Building Resilience to Cope with Climate Change in Jordan through Improving Water Use Efficiency in the Agriculture Sector”, as a key intervention to support the agrifood system in Jordan, and improve food security and livelihoods. The pair agreed to continue collaborating to mobilize international funding for the agrifood system in line with national priorities.

In his meeting with H.E Raed Abu Soud, Minister for Water and Irrigation, the pair discussed ongoing cooperation, as well as opportunities to further strengthen collaboration in this key sector. They also discussed ongoing FAO projects in support of Jordan’s agrifood system related specifically to the issue of water scarcity and it’ s challenges not only for Jordan, but for the region at large. The Director-General and the Minister also discussed FAO’s support in mobilizing climate finance for water governance, efficiency, and sustainability.