Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya Bint El Hassan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Commission of Legal Empowerment of the Poor in New York organize today the National Consultation on the Legal Empowerment of the Poor in Jordan.

 

Legal empowerment of the poor is essential to poverty reduction. It protects those who live their lives outside the rule of law, without the basic legal protection that recognizes their homes, assets and hard work. Without property rights, they live in fear of forced eviction. Without access to a justice system, they are victims of corruption and violence. Without enforceable labor laws, they suffer unsafe and abusive work conditions. If they own an informal business, they cannot access the legal business protections that entrepreneurs in the developed world take for granted – they are locked out of economic opportunity in their own countries and in the global marketplace. Outside the law, the ability of the poor to create wealth is frustrated; without access to justice, their dignity is violated.

 

This national consultation for Jordan aim to generate dialogue and build awareness on the nature and dimensions of legal exclusion of the poor related to the four thematic areas of focus of the Commission on (Access to Justice and Rule of Law, Property Rights, Labour Rights, and Legal Mechanisms to Empower Informal Businesses). The hope is to promote collaboration between civil society organizations, academic institutions, and government officials to build a sold constituency of support surrounding the legal empowerment agenda and develop national platforms for action.

 

As a follow-up and with funding provided by the Commission and the support of UNDP’s Sub-Regional Facility for Arab States (SURF-AS), four thematic papers in the above mentioned Commission’s areas of focus were produced by national authors and will be presented by them in the meeting of today. 

 

Attended by more than 80 stakeholders from government, academia and the research community, relevant unions, civil society, media and representatives of the informal sector, the meeting of today will discuss the four themes. Participants are expected to generate findings and recommendations that aim to improve the capacity of the poor to enable them to have greater control over their own lives and livelihoods. The national final report will be included in the Commission’s global report eventually.

 

 Jordan’s national consultation is part of series of consultations organized by the Commission across the globe. They aim to pave the way for regional-level consultation in each of the continents. 

 

The Commission on Legal Empowerment is hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and supported by the UN Secretary General for its contribution to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Commision is co-chaired by Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, and Hernando de Soto, Peruvian economist and founder of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy. It is also made up of eminent policymakers and practitioners from around the world as Commission members. It includes H.R.H. Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Former President of Brazil Fernando Cardoso, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, former President of Tanzania Benjamin Mkapa, former Prime Minister of New Zealand Mike Moore, former President of Ireland Mary Robinson and former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo. The Commission was launched in 2005 by a group of developing and industrialized countries, including Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Kingdom, and has a mandate to complete its work in 2008.