His Majesty King Abdullah II said Jordan's attention to national issues would not come at the expense of its commitment to national and historic responsibilities towards Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.
''I have worked for a long time, and I am still working to find a unified Arab stance concerning these challenges and dangers that now encircle this nation, so that the Arab role in the region will not be marginalized, [which would] curtail all of our capabilities to extend support and assistance to our brothers in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon,'' the King said, adding that concern for Arab causes has been a Hashemite duty throughout history.
The King was speaking during the closing session of '' We are all Jordan'' Forum, held at the Dead Sea shores.
''The dangers and conflicts that I have warned about during our previous meetings are now before us, on the ground. To cope with regional and sectarian conflicts, we must strengthen and consolidate our internal front,” he said. “All of us should work as one hand and one heart in confronting these dangers, by preserving our national unity.''
King Abdullah, who was accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania, announced that an advisory commission would be established that included representatives from government institutions and civil society. The We Are All Jordan Commission will present periodical reports on the work being done and measure progress towards the achievement of the national development priorities identified forum participants.
The final declaration from the forum stressed the importance of Jordan's role in facing regional challenges by strengthening national unity and increasing cooperation with Arab countries to fight terrorism, extremism and takfir. The declaration also called for a united Arab stand on regional challenges that is proactive in initiating solutions, rather than responding to crises.
The document, signed by more than 700 Jordanian personalities, stressed that Jordan has always taken the initiative and has had a pioneering role in the region.
Participants agreed that enhancing Jordanian national unity, strengthening the domestic front, and cementing a sense of belonging and loyalty demands commitment to the Constitution, law, democracy, political pluralism and respecting the opinion of the majority. The declaration said the achievement of these goals requires the finalization of numerous laws and developing a comprehensive plan to fight extremism and takfir and enhance national unity.
''We consider [the forum's working plan] today and in the future a personal program for each one of us, we will work hard to present all support to implement it and make achievement its result,'' the document, read by Nasser Lawzi, said.
The two-day forum was attended by the representatives of the government, the senate, the parliament, the judicial apparatus, media, unions, parties, NGOs, private sector, tribes, camps, clubs, youth and opinion leaders. Participants were divided into six groups, each concerned with one of the following issues: strengthening internal front, political and economic reform, social security, regional challenges and the Palestinian cause.
Participants said initiatives in these fields was central to building on past achievements and stressed that Jordan is a country for all its citizens, regardless of their origins.
Participants stressed that achieving sustainable development demands guaranteeing the public freedom of opinion, increasing the citizens' choices, enhancing grassroots participation in decision making, supporting institutions, supremacy of law, independence of judges and judiciary system. They also recommended accelerating the promulgation of a new political parties law, the approval of the laws governing municipalities, anti-corruption and money laundering, among other legislation.
They stressed commitment to the country's economic reform program, noting that achieving financial stability and enhancing the capabilities of the national economy in attracting investment and creating job opportunities demands implementing a number of policies, legislations, short-term and mid-term procedures.
Participants also stressed the necessity of adopting a number of policies to enhance competitiveness, self-sufficiency, reform pension systems, enhance institutional debt management capabilities and support the development of promising sectors and services.
Participants said that welfare was only a partial solution to poverty alleviation and emphasized that sustainable development was key to permanently lifting citizens from poverty.
They stressed the importance of improving living standards of citizens by incremental salary increases within a realistic national plan.
They also stressed that Jordan's security, strength, national unity and Hashemite leadership are the homeland's shield against challenges and the platform for all its achievements. They stated that Jordan's security and strength also support Palestinians, Iraqis and all countries in the Arab and Islamic worlds.
The participants said that King Abdullah's initiative to send aid and establish a field hospital in Lebanon embodies the Hashemite message.
They also said relations between Jordan and Palestine places the Palestinian cause at the top of Jordan's policy priorities, the Hashemite's historical role in defending Jerusalem and custodianship of the holy sites there.
Participants expressed their opposition to unilateral measures that contravene international legitimacy and threaten Jordanian national security. They said that a solution to the Palestinian problem could not be at Jordan's expense and stressed that the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian state on the basis of international law.