AMMAN — HRH Princess Basma, Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on Monday stressed the importance of the partnership between Jordan and the fund in improving the quality of life, ensuring target groups' access to essential services, and enhancing their resilience against challenges.

 

Speaking at a ceremony marking 50 years of partnership between Jordan and UNFPA, organised in cooperation with the Higher Population Council (HPC), Princess Basma said that the milestone should serve as an impetus to realign priorities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 

She also called for placing reproductive health and the safety of women and girls at the forefront of national and international development plans as a fundamental human right enshrined in constitutions and international charters.

 

The ceremony coincided with World Population Day 2026, held under the theme "Fulfilling Youth Hopes and Aspirations - Today and for the Future.”

 

Princess Basma highlighted the severe impact of conflicts on reproductive health services globally, including in the Gaza Strip, where the collapse of the healthcare system has turned childbirth into a source of fear rather than a symbol of life, compounding physical burdens, psychological distress, and uncertainty for women, girls, children, and the elderly.

 

Princess Basma noted that, according to international organisations, nearly 117 million people worldwide, half of whom are women and girls, have been forcibly displaced by conflicts.

 

The princess added that around 60 million displaced women and girls face heightened risks of gender-based violence amid protection systems unable to meet the scale of need.

 

She stressed the necessity of supporting the UNFPA Humanitarian Appeal for 2026 to enable its vital network of clinics and services worldwide to deliver reproductive health and protection services to thousands of women, adolescent girls, and refugees under extremely complex conditions.

 

UNFPA Representative in Jordan Himyar Abdulmoghni said that the 50-year partnership has evolved in line with the Kingdom's changing priorities, contributing to the use of demographic data in policymaking, advancing sexual and reproductive health rights, promoting gender equality, and expanding youth opportunities.

 

Abdulmoghni reaffirmed the fund's commitment to working alongside the government and national institutions, supporting national priorities and the ICPD Programme of Action to strengthen institutions' capacity to adapt to demographic shifts and empower future generations.

 

UNFPA Regional Director for Arab States Laila Baker presented key findings from the "Life, Choices and Future" survey, which gathered insights from over 108,000 young men and women aged 18–39 across 73 countries, including eight Arab states.

 

Baker said that Arab youth retain strong aspirations for marriage and family building, noting that nearly two-thirds of Arab respondents expressed optimism about available opportunities, while two-thirds also highlighted significant inequality, reflecting optimism alongside concern over equal opportunity.

 

In Jordan, the survey revealed that 47.6 per cent of youth surveyed expressed concern over risks linked to regional conflict, economic instability, widening inequality, and global health and environmental hazards.

 

Baker emphasised that anxiety reflects pressing pressures rather than a lack of ambition, stressing that demographic strategies must look beyond growth or fertility rates to focus on everyday realities, including employment, affordable housing, healthcare, social protection, and gender equality.

 

Secretary-General of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation Omar Fanek said that the success of the Jordan-UNFPA partnership stems from a shared vision to serve future generations and provide dignified care.

 

Fanek added that Jordan addresses demographic challenges through structured institutional programmes in cooperation with international partners.

 

HPC Secretary-General Issa Masarweh, outlined Jordan's demographic realities and youth challenges related to marriage, fertility, unemployment, low income relative to living costs, competition from non-local labour, and educational gaps relative to market needs.