مركز الفينيق للدراسات الاقتصادية والمعلوماتية مركز أردني متخصص بالدراسات الاقتصادية والاجتماعية
PhenixCenter for Economic and Informatics Studies and CEE Bankwatch Network held aworkshop last week to introduce Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) andopportunities of Jordanian civil society organizations to influence itspolicies and investments.
Anumber of representatives of civil society organizations participated in theone day long workshop, whereby operations of European development banks andmultilateral development banks in Jordan and the Middle East were highlighted.Ahmed Awad, Director of Phenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies said“focus concentrated, in cooperation with CEE Bankwatch Network, on importanceof projects carried out by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Developmentand the extent of their compliance with priorities of the national economy aswell as challenges it faces; in addition to the extent of its contribution tofinding solutions to economy impasses”.
Awadreiterated that focus concentrated on importance of these projects in terms ofits contribution to creating job opportunities, particularly in Governorateslacking major projects which generate job opportunities leading to engage inoverall development and fair distribution of its gains on all citizens invarious Governorates.
TheCEE Bankwatch Network monitors activities of the European and MultilateralDevelopment Banks. Bankwatch leads a number of campaigns againstenvironmentally or socially destructive projects funded by these institutions.It is a collection of social organizations from Central and Eastern Europe,with a mission of preventing environmentally and socially harmful impacts ofinternational development funding, and undertakes promoting alternativesolutions and public participation.
Theworkshop covered a number of topics such as investments of MultilateralDevelopment Banks (MDB) in Jordan including European Bank for Reconstructionand Development, European Investment Bank, and EU Accession Funds. It alsofocused on social and environmental impacts of these investments, procedures ofpublic participation in these institutions, as well as chances to influenceprojects of Multilateral Development Banks (MDB); in addition to reviewingexperiences gained by civil society organizations from previously launchedcampaigns on projects and policies of Multilateral Development Banks (MDB).
Theworkshop also focused on ways and means of how attending civil societyorganizations may cooperate in monitoring and take part in campaigns directedagainst Multilateral Development Banks (MDB).
