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Courageous, comprehensive and smart speech — analysts

By Hana Namrouqa - Sep 24,2017 - Last updated at Sep 24,2017

AMMAN — The speech of HRH Crown Prince Hussein at the United Nations General Assembly was courageous, daring and comprehensive, political analysts said on Saturday.

The analysts described Prince Hussein’s “language and choice of words” as smart, indicating that it was inclusive and touched on critical issues and challenges affecting Jordan and the region.

Prince Hussein conveyed the aspirations and concerns of the young generation of Jordan and the region, director of the University of Jordan’s Centre for Strategic Studies, Musa Shteiwi, said, describing the Prince as he delivered the speech as “self-confident and straight forward”.

“The Prince was able to lay down the issues and challenges of Jordan and the region in a very well-spoken and articulate way. His speech was coming from a young person who doesn’t only represent Jordan but also speaks out the concerns of the young generation in general,” Shteiwi said.

The analyst said that in his speech, the Crown Prince was critical of two “very important issues”.

He criticised the amount of money being poured into conflicts of the region but how very little is being spent on the refugees and employment, Shteiwi said, indicating that His Highness also spoke of moral issues and how Jordan did not turn its back on refugees despite the socioeconomic crises it is suffering.

“He was appealing for the international community to honour its commitments and responsibilities as international interest in refugees is dwindling,” Shteiwi said.

Senator and veteran diplomat Hassan Abu Nimeh said that the Crown Prince’s speech was comprehensive, describing his way in giving the speech as “full of class, confidence, and maturity”.

The Prince pointed out in the beginning of his speech the fact that he chaired the United Nations Security Council meeting in 2015 which resulted in the adoption of Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, Abu Nimeh said, indicating that the Prince represents an entire generation of young people who are keen on integrating the wisdom and values they inherited from the previous generations with the current reality.

In his speech, the prince described today’s reality as “unprecedented”.

“Ours is a world at an epic intersection, driven by the confluence of deepened globalisation and disruptive technologies. We are at the brink of a fourth industrial revolution, which is redefining how we function as societies and how we relate to one another as human beings. Our hyper-connected world is at once bringing people closer together and widening the divisions between them,” the Prince said as he addressed the General Assembly.

Abu Nimeh said that the speech also touched on the principles upon which the international law and the United Nations were founded and the crises which Jordan has been witnessing.

As Jordan has been going through one crisis after another, it did not let go of its moral responsibility towards refugees, the Crown Prince said. “I do not know of any other country in recent history that has gone through such an onslaught of crises and found itself surrounded by so many conflicts through no fault of its own.”

Political analyst and commentator Samih Maaytah said that Prince Hussein’s introduction of himself as a member of the “the largest generation of young people in history” was a smart choice.

“Prince Hussein spoke of a number of unconventional issues, he spoke proudly of Jordan and the humanitarian role it is leading worldwide. He addressed the UN General Assembly in a very special language and he chose the words of his generation,” Maaytah said.

 

“The prince had a very distinguished presence at the General Assembly, he presented Jordan’s political discourse in a different way and made the young generation of Jordan feel proud,” Maaytah said.

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