APN | Amman

2 March 2024

 

APN General Manager, Mariam Al Jaajaa, was invited to be a panelist at the Climate Justice and Youth Engagement Event, organized by Darabzeen and Oxfam in Amman on 2 March 2024.

In her speech, she highlighted the widespread consensus on the urgent need for climate justice, yet pointed out significant contradictions within climate action efforts. Referring to APN's experience, Al Jaajaa explained that these contradictions include overlooking differing responsibilities between developing and developed nations. She stressed that the former must bear the responsibility for mitigation, adaptation, and compensating losses and damages. Providing an example of these contradictions, she pointed the push to minimize agricultural production in the Global South under the guise of carbon emission reduction, rather than targeting countries and sectors with the highest contributions. Additionally, she emphasized the denial of the Global South’s right to sustainable development, alongside an imbalanced focus on mitigation over adaptation and compensation for losses and damages. She also noted the complete disregard for structural factors contributing to climate vulnerability in our region, including wars and occupation. These contradictions collectively embody what she defined as climate colonialism.

She then discussed Jordan's current food security status and factors contributing to the marginalization of the agriculture sector, highlighting the impact of international financial institutions and the conditions attached to their Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs). She emphasized the current stark contrast in land ownership, noting that 74% of landowners control less than 8.3% of Jordan's cultivable land, while a mere 0.7% of large-scale farmers possess 41% of it.

As for recommendations, she urged against generational separation, advising youth to collaborate with older generations. She cautioned against diverting from national priorities and emphasized the need to engage in productive economic sectors. She stressed youth's active role, not only as implementers of strategies placed by older generations, but as partners in all planning stages, including priority-setting, strategy development, and monitoring for accountability.