Jordan Times
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Proposed national policy to
ensure best use of demographic dividend
By Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN — The third national forum on population and development entitled, “The
Demographic Dividend” concluded on Tuesday by adopting resolutions for drawing
up new “clear” recommendations for formulating a national policy to ensure best
use of the expected demographic dividend.
The forum’s administration decided to form a national work team comprising
representatives from the youth, private and public sectors, as well as civil
society institutions, to draw up new recommendations as the existing suggestions
were conflicting and did not specify an authority responsible for their
implementation, follow-up and supervision.
The new proposals will first be studied by the Higher Population Council (HPC)
and then referred to the Cabinet for endorsement.
The recommendations, which will identify the best ways for investing the
demographic gift, will be considered as a national policy.
The demographic gift is a term used to refer to the favourable effect of falling
fertility rates on the ratio of the working population to the dependent
population (children and the aged), while the demographic dividend is a rise in
the rate of economic growth due to a rising share of working age people in a
population, which countries should benefit from.
According to Department of Statistics figures, the Kingdom’s birth rate declined
from 7.4 in 1976 to 3.2 in 2004, and was expected to drop further to reach two
children per mother by 2020.
The existing recommendations focused on the role of media in development and
raising awareness in preparation for the approaching demographic dividend,
expected during the period of 2010-2015 and continuing up to 2050.
HRH Princess Basma, who opened the two-day event on Monday, stressed the
importance of the forum and the importance of learning about ways to deal with
the expected demographic transformation.
The Princess highlighted the importance of preparations for this stage to
augment its favourable impact through effecting cultural changes, developing the
country’s different areas equally and working to eliminate poverty.
Participants presented 24 papers examining several issues including the
country’s population trends and demographic indicators, the importance of the
quality of education, the population’s economic and educational characteristics,
the health and social needs during the demographic dividend, youth and the
demographic dividend and the best use of the demographic dividend.
The event was organised by the HPC, in cooperation with the United Nations
Population Fund and the Department of Statistics.