Jordan hosts Global Land Forum

Deputizing for Jordan’s King Abdullah, Agriculture Minister Khalid Hneifat on Monday inaugurated the ninth edition of Global Land Forum at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre in the Dead Sea region.

The Forum is being co-hosted by the International Earth Alliance and Jordan represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and the SEEDS Foundation, and in partnership with the European Union.

The gathering, the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa, has brought together more than 800 participants, speakers, and experts representing 78 countries to discuss critical issues related to climate change, land rights, food systems agriculture, and other topics.

Jordan’s Princess Basma, a member of the advisory council of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, told A24 News Agency that the wide participation in the forum reflects the increasing interest in issues of environment, and the threats facing people in terms of ecosystems and their impact on local communities.

She called for employing the forum’s recommendations to serve the fragile environment in the region. Secretary-General of the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture Muhammad Hiyari said the event aims at developing land governance to preserve humankind and resources.

European Union Ambassador Maria Hadjithudou Seo said the sustainable use and governance of land would also attract investments and create jobs in countries.