Amman, Jan. 29 (Petra) – Minister of Environment Ayman Suleiman reaffirmed Jordan’s firm commitment to supporting the Green Middle East Initiative during his participation in the initiative’s second ministerial meeting, held in Jeddah under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia.
Suleiman said Jordan supports the initiative’s strategic directions, particularly land restoration, combating desertification, and enhancing adaptation to climate change impacts, noting that these areas represent national priorities in light of water scarcity and land degradation challenges.
He expressed appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for leading the initiative and hosting the meeting, and commended the efforts of the secretariat in strengthening governance, developing coordination mechanisms, and monitoring the implementation of the initiative’s outcomes.
Suleiman noted progress achieved since the previous ministerial meeting, especially in developing institutional frameworks, enhancing data exchange, and adopting a clear mechanism for rotating the chairmanship of the Ministerial Council.
He said Jordan has completed updating its National Biodiversity Strategy in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and is nearing completion of its fourth Nationally Determined Contributions report on climate change during the first half of this year. He underscored the importance of data exchange, technical capacity building, and aligning national strategies with the initiative’s objectives, particularly in arid and fragile environments, within the framework of the economic modernization vision and sustainable green growth.
Suleiman said Jordan is working to expand green spaces through a national target to plant 10 million trees over 10 years, noting that about 2.5 million trees have already been planted under the first executive program of the Economic Modernization Vision, contributing to ecosystem improvement, climate change mitigation, and enhanced quality of life.
He reaffirmed Jordan’s commitment to contributing to the initiative’s goals through land restoration programs, the implementation of nature-based solutions, and the exchange of expertise with member states, welcoming the accession of new countries and calling for stronger regional cooperation and the translation of commitments into tangible outcomes.
//Petra// AJ
