US embassy cable - 03AMMAN3464

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003464 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/RA LAWSON, OES/PCI PAYNE, OES/ENV RICHARD 
STATE PASS USTR SAUMS 
STATE PASS USEPA PASAREW 
STATE PASS USAID EGAT 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, PREL, EAID, JO 
SUBJECT:  AMBASSADOR MEETS JORDANIAN MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT 
TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION 
 
Ref:  Amman 312 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  In a June 2 courtesy call on the 
Jordanian Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammed Thuneibat, 
the Ambassador commended the minister for his leadership of 
Jordan's newest ministry and impressed upon him the need for 
an environmental regulatory and enforcement body to 
complement the country's economic development and trade 
goals.  The Jordan FTA, both agreed, was at the vanguard for 
its environmental clauses.  Wanting to fulfill its FTA 
commitments, the Minister is keen to make the Joint 
Environmental Forum a success.  Post is trying to identify 
an NSF Science Fellow from EPA who could provide technical 
assistance on the ministry's organizational structure and 
mission, helping make a more effective environmental 
watchdog for Jordan.  A regional Arab-Israeli hazardous 
waste training workshop got the Minister's rapid approval 
for Jordanian participation.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) Although the Jordanian Ministry of Environment was 
created earlier this year (reftel), the death of the 
minister's wife and the Iraq conflict made an earlier 
courtesy call by the Ambassador impossible.  The Minister, 
however, is known to post in his other capacity as Minister 
of Administrative Development.  Accompanied by the USAID 
Mission Director, USAID Water and Environment Sector Chief, 
and the NEA Regional Environment Officer, the Ambassador met 
with Minister Thuneibat on June 2 to invite his impressions 
of the ministry and to solicit his vision for moving 
Jordan's environmental agenda forward in a manner consistent 
with its economic and trade goals. 
 
3. (SBU) After the Ambassador's inquiry about his plans for 
the ministry and its role as Jordan's environmental 
regulatory and enforcement agency, the Minister candidly 
described the weak personnel and institutional capacity he 
inherited from the General Corporation for Environmental 
Protection (GCEP), the precursor to the ministry.  He 
ventured that no more than 75 of the 170 employees are 
qualified at their jobs, but he hoped to change that through 
technical assistance and capacity building.  Already he has 
aggressively advertised for new talent for the ministry, 
something that has raised the ire of its permanent employees 
who fear being replaced or sidelined.  An external review of 
the ministry and its personnel conducted this spring, while 
lauded by many outside observers as an appropriate objective 
evaluation of the institution, was met with resistance by 
longtime civil servants.  Nevertheless, Thuneibat seems 
determined to hone his new ministry into an effective agency 
and he claims to have the financial support from the 
Minister of Planning to do so. 
 
4. (SBU) Turning to the Joint U.S.-Jordanian Environmental 
Forum, which we had hoped to convene in Amman earlier this 
year, the Ambassador suggested that it could be convened 
concurrently with the FTA Joint Commission in the fall 
timeframe.  The Minister, enthusiastic about the prospect of 
this policy dialog on trade and environment issues and the 
attendant technical assistance, pledged to work to make this 
happen. The inception meeting will likely focus on how we 
might be able to assist the new ministry in building its 
environmental management capacity so that it can meet its 
FTA obligations.  It remains unclear, however, who from the 
Jordanian side will participate, but we expect both the 
Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Industry of 
Trade to play significant roles. 
 
5. (SBU) The Ambassador also described our efforts to 
identify a visiting Science Fellow from EPA to review the 
Ministry of Environment's organizational structure and its 
mission, offering advice on how to become a more effective 
regulatory and enforcement agency.  While he told the 
Minister we cannot guarantee that an appropriate individual 
will be identified, the Ambassador remains hopeful that this 
cost-free opportunity for an experienced USEPA official to 
share expertise in the early stages of a new ministry will 
materialize. 6. (SBU) Finally, the NEA Regional Environment 
Officer spoke of post's efforts to organize a regional 
workshop on hazardous waste management for Jordanians, 
Palestinians, and Israelis.  We informed the Minister that 
EPA had developed a draft training module for the core 
parties and we have already sought input from the regional 
technical experts so that the workshop better meets the 
needs of all.  A planning meeting is scheduled for late 
June, at which we hope to finalize the agenda and training 
module.  We expect to convene the workshop in early August 
at which at least five technical hazardous waste experts 
from each of the parties will be invited to participate. 
The Minister, recognizing this as an opportunity for his 
personnel to receive some excellent up-to-date training on 
this critical issue for the Middle East, fully supported 
this regional initiative.7. (SBU) BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION: 
Thuneibat was quick to point out to the Ambassador that he 
is one of 5 ministers in the Abu Al-Ragheb government who 
has, without interruption, served in the cabinet for the 
past 6 years.  He currently wears two hats-as Minister of 
Administrative Development and as Minister of Environment. 
He temporarily was Minister of Culture in the second cabinet 
reshuffle of the Abu Al-Ragheb government from October 2001 
until January 2002.  Thuneibat is a member of the Civil 
Service Council and the Royal Commission for Administrative 
Reforms as well as being the head of the Arab Association 
for Administrative Development.  He served as Minister of 
Administrative Development from 1994-95 in a previous 
government.  Clearly a specialist in public administration 
and human resources, his current appointment to the newly 
created Ministry of Environment has been interpreted as a 
signal that he is to "build" it up.  It is expected that, 
once he completes this task (which he estimates could take 
up to one year), a technocrat with environmental expertise 
will likely take over.  Thuneibat, a Muslim East Banker, 
hails from the city of Kerak where he was born in 1950.  He 
attended the University of Jordan, where he studied 
political science, and took his PhD in Human Resources 
Management from the University of Southern California. 
Thuneibat has a confident air about him and appears 
gregarious and outgoing.8. (SBU) COMMENT:  Although some 
individuals are critical that Thuneibat, who has no 
environmental background, was named to the post, our working 
level contacts within the ministry shared with us their 
initial enthusiasm for his strong management style and 
leadership.  That said, we are also hearing grumbling that 
his low esteem for the current staff is not helping morale. 
However, one international donor who works closely with the 
ministry told us that they thought Thuneibat's confidence in 
40 percent of his employees was generous-in their 
estimation, they could only come up with about 10 competent 
employees.  Clearly, the ministry needs significant 
assistance in capacity building and reforming the former 
GCEP into a robust regulatory and enforcement watchdog for 
Jordan.GNEHM