Amman, Oct. 23 (Petra) — Minister of Social Development Wafaa Bani Mustafa on Thursday met with a delegation comprising representatives of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation in implementing a number of social programs.

Bani Mustafa stressed the importance of effective partnership with UN programs across various social sectors to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

She reviewed the main pillars of the National Social Protection Strategy 2025–2033, which aligns with Jordan’s modernization tracks and aims to enhance inclusiveness, integration, and efficiency within the social protection system, while building proactive, resilient systems capable of responding to shocks.

The minister also emphasized the importance of joint cooperation with UN agencies in areas such as social protection, combating domestic violence, providing technical support for digital transformation, strengthening data, monitoring, and evaluation systems, and mobilizing resources to ensure financial sustainability and expand social protection coverage.

Bani Mustafa highlighted the significance of the care economy in social development, noting the recent adoption of the Social Work Profession Practice Regulation, which aims to prepare qualified and trained social workers across various specializations, thereby improving the quality of services provided to target groups.

She also discussed the ministry’s economic empowerment programs for families benefiting from the National Aid Fund, which aim to train and qualify their members in vocational skills, transitioning them from reliance on assistance to productivity and enabling their integration into the labor market.

Bani Mustafa commended the efforts of UN agencies in supporting the ministry’s programs on social protection, inclusion, and empowerment, expressing hope to further expand and deepen this effective partnership to enhance social services.

For their part, representatives of the UNDP Executive Board, UNFPA, and UNOPS praised the ministry’s active cooperation and its vital role in advancing social services for target groups, affirming the United Nations’ commitment to supporting the ministry’s programs and implementing the National Social Protection Strategy as a strategic and technical partner in Jordan.

//Petra// AO
23/10/2025 14:33:28