US embassy cable - 02AMMAN7434

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 007434 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR OES/ENV RICHARD, OES/PCI PAYNE, NEA/RA LAWSON, NEA/ARN 
ZIADEH, NEA/PD 
STATE PASS USTR NED SAUMS 
STATE PASS USAID/ANE OLIVER 
STATE PASS USEPA PASAREW 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: SENV, ETRD, PGOV, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT BACK ON TRACK? 
 
Ref:  Amman 7328 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
1. (SBU) Summary.  According to local press and contacts, the 
Jordanian government may be on the verge of ratifying a new law, 
heralding the creation of a new, free-standing, ministry of 
environment.  Jordanian government officials believe the new 
ministry will retain the General Corporation for Environmental 
Protection as its core.  Enforcement of environmental bylaws 
might remain an issue.  Speculation abounds on the identity of 
the new minister.  Nevertheless, pleas are already being made by 
officials for technical assistance to build the capacity of the 
new entity.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Coincidental with the December 11 Washington meeting of 
the FTA Joint Commission, at which environmental FTA issues 
garnered significant attention (reftel), we began to see in Amman 
visible movement on the long-stalled draft law to create a 
ministry of environment.  Ambassador Alia Bouran, Jordan's 
representative to Brussels and the EU, noted to the USDEL at the 
Joint Commission that the law was with the cabinet for final 
approval, which she expected by year's end.  Indications of 
renewed activity on this issue locally was also reported in the 
Jordanian media.  Faris Juneidi, Director General of the General 
Corporation for Environmental Protection (GCEP), confirmed to 
Regional Environment Officer that the long-awaited draft law 
creating the ministry was in the final stages of review and 
comment at the cabinet and that it is expected to be ratified by 
the end of the year.  In a separate but related development, the 
Prime Minister, while briefing the King on the Jordan First 
campaign, said government efforts to protect the environment will 
be crowned with the establishment of an independent ministry. 
 
3. (U) Juneidi commented that the draft law had changed little 
from its original 2001 version, but could offer no explanation 
for the long delay or the apparent sudden revival.  (Other 
environment contacts thought the recent burst of activity was 
linked to the FTA Joint Commission meeting and the desire of the 
Jordanian government to meet its commitments and leverage 
environmental technical assistance.)  He was confident, however, 
that GCEP would constitute the core of the new ministry, but 
quickly added that it would not simply be a matter of "changing 
the placard on the building."  By his own admission, Juneidi's 
organization needs significant technical assistance to build its 
capacity, especially in the area of professional development of 
GCEP's personnel. 
 
4. (U) When probed about the nature of the relationship between 
the new ministry of environment and other ministries with 
overlapping responsibilities (such as water, health, municipal 
and rural affairs, and industry), Juneidi was clear that the new 
entity would have the lead on environmental issues, nationwide, 
but would necessarily have to coordinate with others.  He 
stressed that the ministry would be full-fledged and on a par 
with others.  Juneidi also welcomed the dissolution of the 
Environmental Supreme Council whose unwieldy size (22 members) 
and composition (most ministers as well as representatives from 
the NGO and business communities) he thought had hamstrung its 
ability to act.  On the downside, he was somewhat apprehensive 
that the new ministry might lack the necessary teeth to make it a 
credible player on environmental enforcement. 
 
5. (U) Other contacts within GCEP and the NGO community also 
welcomed the establishment of a new ministry.  More forthcoming 
than Juneidi on speculating about the identity of the new 
minister, GCEP working level contacts suggested that Samer Tawil, 
the current Minister for National Economy and Minister of State 
(a position essentially without portfolio), might be the 
candidate.  Although lacking a background in the environment, he 
is a close confidant of the Prime Minister who has championed the 
new environment ministry idea.  The appearance of Ambassador 
Bouran at the Washington FTA Joint Commission, where delegation 
head Salah al-Bashir, the Minister of Industry and Trade, 
designated her the environmental lead for the forum, has also led 
to wide conjecture.  Yet, despite Bouran's strong environment 
credentials and background as the lead environment negotiator 
during the FTA process, many in GCEP believe that she will not 
get the nod--at least at this time. 
 
6. (SBU) COMMENT:  The establishment of a ministry of environment 
comes at a propitious time--the Joint Environmental Forum of the 
FTA is scheduled to meet within the next few months, at which it 
is expected Jordan will seek technical assistance to build the 
government's capacity to monitor and enforce the country's 
environment.  Somewhat disconcerting is the refrain that we are 
hearing about GCEP forming the core of the new ministry.  While 
GCEP has some positive attributes, the fear is that the ministry 
will be a change in name only, hobbling its ability to develop 
into the dynamic body necessary to tackle the challenging and 
competing issues.  It is also disappointing to hear that Bouran, 
arguably the most qualified professionally and academically for 
the new job, may not be rewarded.  On the positive side, however, 
someone like Samer Tawil, with his close links to the Prime 
Minister and strong track record as a competent decision maker as 
Secretary General at the Trade Ministry, could fend off competing 
 
SIPDIS 
priorities from other sectors and bring strong managerial skills 
to develop a new environmental agenda. 
 
GNEHM