ABDULLAH II IBN AL HUSSEIN, King of Jordan, stressed that countries have a shared interest in responding effectively to the myriad of challenges the world faces.  That requires collective action, and the emphasis must be on action.

Global partnership is critical to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, one of the longest-standing conflicts in modern history, he said.  The war on Gaza in 2020 was a reminder that the current situation is unsustainable.  The suffering points to the critical need to keep supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as it continues to fulfil its mandate and provide vital humanitarian services to 5.7 million vulnerable Palestinian refugees.  Genuine security for either side can only be achieved through the two-State solution and Jerusalem is at the heart of any peace.  For its part, Jordan will continue working to preserve the historic and legal status quo of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian Holy Sites, under Hashemite custodianship.

Elsewhere in the region, Lebanon is facing a dire humanitarian and economic situation, he continued.  Desperate living-conditions loom for millions, he cautioned, calling on the international community to give the Lebanese people its full support.  As for the millions of refugees in host countries like Lebanon, he stressed that the well-being of those and the communities that host them remains an international responsibility.  “Leaving people in need, innocents in jeopardy, and conflicts unresolved plays into the hands of global extremists, who exploit the despair, frustration and anger these crises leave in their wake.”

Turning to climate change, he emphasized that no country could combat the challenge on its own.  Jordan is acutely aware of this as one of the water-poorest countries in the world.  Its Green Growth National Action Plan is designed to ensure energy efficiency and strengthen resilience in water and agriculture.  In that context, he called for regional networks of resiliency to pool resources and respond quickly to needs as they arise.  Jordan stands ready to utilize the country's strategic location, at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe, to facilitate the broadest international response.