Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhouri on Monday opened a regional conference on development challenges and priorities in the region.

The “Development Challenges and Priorities in a Changing Arab Region” conference seeks to look into ways of devising a future development program following the footsteps of the UNDP regional program for the years 2018-2021, focusing on the risks and vulnerabilities associated with the economy, environment and energy.

Fakhouri, who deputized for the prime minister, said the Arab world is passing through very complex conditions arising from wars and conflicts and consecutive waves of refugees in addition to slower economic growth and rising poverty and unemployment rates.

He stressed that such reality necessitates cooperation, solidarity and integration in order to create a secure, stable and prosperous environment that brings about justice and equality for all.

The minister indicated that Jordan has reached the “stage of saturation” when it comes to receiving Syria refugees, whose number reached 1.3 million or 14 per cent of the Kingdom’s population.

Such massive number of refugees places enormous pressures on the Kingdom’s resources and economy and other key sectors, the minister said, adding that the international community failed to fulfill its commitments towards Jordan and the refugees.

Source: Fana News