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(MENAFN – Jordan News Agency) Amman, November 25 (Petra) – The Dutch and Jordanian governments launched a new partnership on Wednesday under which the Netherlands will provide 74 million euros to help refugees and populations from host to access to quality primary education and vocational training; secure and keep a decent job; and benefit from a reinforced protection framework.
The “Jordan Prospects Partnership” is a four-year initiative with the first joint programming started in 2019. The Netherlands will invest € 73 million in the Jordan partnership until 2023, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
With refugees representing more than 10 percent of Jordan’s population, and in a global context of increasingly long-term refugees and forced displacement situations, the five partners and the Netherlands are committed to building on the strengths. of each one and seek sustainable solutions for forced displacement. , in close coordination with the Government of Jordan, according to the statement.
The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation indicated that the initiative will be implemented by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Agency for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) and the World Bank.
Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, expressed her commitment to this multi-year partnership during a virtual meeting on Wednesday with Minister for Planning and International Cooperation, Nasser Shraideh.
Speaking at the launch of the partnership, Shraideh said: “We hope that the Prospects Partnership initiative will effectively contribute and support Jordan in responding to the impact of existing and emerging challenges to improve services provided to refugees and vulnerable Jordanians. in host communities “.
He added: “During the implementation of the Prospects Partnership, we also hope to learn from the rich experience of the Netherlands through close cooperation and engagement with our social partners and the private sector to better respond to these challenges and needs.”
The minister highlighted that the three main components of the initiative (education, employment and livelihoods and protection) are in line with the strategies and policies of the Government of Jordan, including the Jordan Response Plan, the Social Protection Strategy and the Employment letter.
“We pay close attention to this initiative in Jordan, as we continue to be affected by the after-effects of the Syrian crisis, including hosting large numbers of refugees, particularly in host communities,” he further said.
The minister noted that current challenges have also been exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which, he said, strained labor market dynamics, particularly in sectors hit hard by the crisis such as tourism.
Shraideh expressed the hope that the “Perspectives Association” will effectively contribute and support Jordan in responding to the impact of existing and emerging challenges to improve services provided to refugees and vulnerable Jordanians in host communities.
He said: “During the implementation of the Prospects Partnership, we also hope to learn from the rich experience of the Netherlands through close cooperation and engagement with our social partners and the private sector to better respond to these challenges and needs.”
The minister expressed his deep gratitude to the Netherlands for the generous support given to Jordan over many years, which helped support the implementation of projects in priority areas and help Jordan keep pace with reforms, as well as mitigating the impact of reforms. hosting Syrian refugees.
He also thanked UNICEF, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Labor Organization, the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank for partnering with us on this initiative.
Meanwhile, the Dutch minister said that the “Prospects Association” aims at effective collaboration, data sharing and leveraging experience, “adding:” Through close cooperation with the Jordanian government, partners Prospects are contributing to the development and self-resilience of people. and communities “.
Under the partnership, the World Bank is committed to investing in education, livelihoods, private sector development, social protection, and service delivery, including supporting progressive policies for refugees.
The International Finance Corporation is committed to providing private sector solutions to the Alliance’s refugees and host communities, while UNICEF will strengthen national and regional capacities to provide education, social protection, youth services and child protection for children and youth. vulnerable.
In turn, the ILO will work to strengthen inclusive socio-economic growth and decent work.
It will continue to support the improvement of working conditions for refugees and members of the host community; support workers to gain skills and certification for better jobs; improve labor market governance and promote a smooth transition to formal employment.
UNHCR, through the Association, will ensure the continued protection of refugees while at the same time supporting refugees’ access to sustainable solutions.
In line with this goal, a key aspect of UNHCR’s work within the association is focused on supporting continued access to registration and legal documentation for refugees across the country, especially during the COVID-19 emergency through remote modalities. .
The other countries that benefit from the Association are Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia. The Netherlands has committed to investing € 500 million in the Association until 2023.
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11/25/2020 16:05:29
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