Amman, Sept. 23 (Petra) – Tackling poverty requires shifting from addressing its consequences to confronting its underlying causes through proactive and integrated social policies that promote economic empowerment, social protection, and decent, sustainable employment, Minister of Social Development Wafa Bani Mustafa stated on Wednesday.
Bani Mustafa, who chairs the 45th session of the Council of Arab Ministers for Social Affairs, made the remarks at the opening of a two-day conference in Amman titled "Supporting Social Policies to Reduce Multidimensional Poverty in Arab Countries: Reality and Aspirations." The conference is organized by the Social Development and Policies Department of the Arab League's Social Affairs Sector, in cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and Jordan’s Ministry of Social Development.
Bani Mustafa explained that poverty is no longer viewed solely in terms of income but as a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing education, health, nutrition, housing, basic services, decent work, and social protection.
She noted that this broader approach has contributed to the development of more comprehensive measurement tools, particularly the Multidimensional Poverty Index, to help direct policies and resources toward priority needs.
Bani Mustafa highlighted Jordan’s efforts to place people at the center of development, strengthen social protection, expand opportunities, and improve resilience to social and economic challenges. She also referred to Arab states’ work under the Arab Strategic Framework for the Eradication of Multidimensional Poverty 2020–2030 and national social protection and development strategies.
She added that Jordan is strengthening its social protection system through data, technology, and digital transformation to improve the targeting of assistance and reach households and individuals most in need. She cited the Jordan Social Registry as a tool for integrating social and economic data, alongside the Social Early Warning System for identifying risks and enabling preventive intervention.
Bani Mustafa also underscored the role of the Arab Center for Social Development Policies as a platform for research, policy development, and the exchange of expertise and best practices among Arab countries.
She expressed hope that the conference would produce practical recommendations to improve social policies and strengthen regional cooperation.
Tareq Nabulsi, head of the Arab League delegation and Director of the Social Development and Policies Department, highlighted Jordan’s experience in social development and noted that the Council of Arab Ministers for Social Affairs had welcomed Jordan’s hosting of the conference.
He pointed to the participation of Arab delegations and specialized UN agencies as an indication of continued cooperation with international organizations and support for the Arab Center for Social Development Policies hosted by Jordan.
Nabulsi described the conference as an opportunity to develop practical and implementable approaches to social development despite the challenges facing the region.
He also stressed the need to develop Arab priorities beyond the 2020–2030 framework while taking regional circumstances into account and focusing on vulnerable groups, particularly persons with disabilities, older people, and children. The conference’s recommendations, he added, will be submitted to the next session of the Council of Arab Ministers for Social Affairs.
Khaled Abu Ismail, head of the ESCWA delegation, identified poverty in all its forms and dimensions as one of the world’s major challenges and expressed hope that the conference would provide member states with regional and international experiences in developing practical poverty-reduction policies.
Abu Ismail explained that policymakers face not only the challenge of identifying the characteristics and causes of multidimensional poverty, but also of designing effective policies based on that knowledge. Implementing such policies, he emphasized, requires strong and effective institutions, particularly in least developed countries.
He also highlighted Jordan’s efforts in social development and voiced support for launching the Arab center as a regional mechanism for social policy research and cooperation.
//Petra// AO
