Ajloun: His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, Chairman of the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST), on Monday inaugurated the “Climate Justice in the Arab Region: Where Do We Stand?” conference, organized by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC – Quakers) in cooperation with the Royal Academy for Nature Conservation in Ajloun Governorate.
According to Jordan News Agency, in his opening remarks, Prince El Hassan emphasized the urgent need to transform the concept of scarcity into a driver for regional solidarity and cooperation, particularly as the Arab region is among the most climate-vulnerable in the world. He stressed that climate justice cannot be achieved by treating communities as mere recipients of aid, calling for empowering local populations and promoting dialogue to translate knowledge and expertise into community-led action.
Prince El Hassan also highlighted the importance of an integrated nexus approach linking water, food, energy, and ecosystems as a sustainable path to enhancing both climate and food security, urging that this model be adopted as regional policy. He reiterated the importance of Arab cooperation and shared knowledge to achieve climate justice, good governance, and a balanced relationship between humans and nature, ensuring a sustainable future for coming generations.
Furthermore, he called for the creation of a regional socio-economic council to represent the Levant’s voice on the global stage and humanize the region in international discourse. Khaled Elkouz, AFSC’s Regional Director, echoed the prince’s remarks, emphasizing that climate justice is incomplete without human justice, as communities already impacted by conflict are also the most affected by climate change. He called for linking human rights and environmental justice in all development efforts.
Elkouz noted the conference is part of a broader program titled “Regional Dialogue,” which seeks to build bridges between communities and foster mutual understanding around key challenges that require cross-border solutions. Running for three days, the conference brings together experts, academics, environmental activists, and civil society representatives from Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon to explore various dimensions of climate change and justice, from historical contexts to current environmental movements in the Arab region.