Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

2008 Category 3: Jordan
Western Asia
Jordan
2008 Category 3 Winner
Family Planning, The Higher Population Council
Amman, Jordan
Description
Promoting family planning and empowering women through health and
reproductive education.
Summary
The “Family Planning” initiative has promoted a balance between population growth
and economic resources necessary to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development
by adopting policies that promote rational reproductive behaviors, family
planning, rational use of resources, women’s empowerment, equity and productivity
in order to increase per capita income.
The Problem
During the last decade, Jordan has experienced a set of development challenges related
to an increase in population growth, fertility, unemployment, poverty pockets,
and growing pressure on the State to deliver basic social services. This situation has
adversely affected Jordan’s economic, social, and sustainable development. The creation
of the National Population Commission (NPC) was supposed to address the
problem of very high population growth and its consequences. However, the NPC
was an empty body with virtually no concrete activities.
The Solution
The NPC, which was established in 1988, was not operational until late 1990s. HRH
Princess Basma Bint Talal envisioned establishing an executive body for the National
Population Commission (NPC) in order to start implementing Jordan’s national
population programs. During 1999-2002, the NPC was restructured into the
Higher Population Council (HPC) with a clear mandate to implement and follow up
on the National Population Strategy (NPS) and budget.
The HPC, established on 3 December 2002 according to the Cabinet’s decision
no. 3071, was given the responsibility to act as the reference body entrusted with
suggesting, formulating, monitoring, evaluating and updating the national population
policies, as well as creating a supportive environment to achieve its objectives
within the framework of the national economic and social development plans and
reform programs. A number of committees were established within the Secretari-
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