In May, members of the Good Capital Project team traveled to Jordan on the invitation of the Jordan country team of the United Nations on a fact-finding mission to study at close quarters the SDG investment landscape of Jordan. Over the trip, the leadership of the UN country team and GCP members, met a broad range of stakeholders at central government, local government, central bank, leading private corporations, international development agencies, accelerator programs, and entrepreneurs with the intent to understand the current initiatives underway to bolster the investment ecosystem, and the impediments to attract and retain private investments in Jordan.
In analyzing the results of our multi-stakeholder engagement, we realized the need for a unifying forum to bring together key players of the Jordan investment, development, and business communities to promote cross-sector collaboration and knowledge sharing to spur innovation and capital flow towards SDG-related investments. GCP worked closely with UN to develop the concept “17Jordan”.
The primary purpose of 17Jordan is to attract long-term strategic growth capital for investments in Jordan through embracing Sustainable Development Goal #17 – “Partnership for Goals.” 17Jordan promotes investments to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda and connects the synergies of aid and investment through civic engagement, corporate leadership, and international capital sources. 17Jordan is aimed at developing a road map to build capacity, pool knowledge, and prioritize investments focused on the SDGs.
On August 28th, 17Jordan officially launched in Amman by bringing together dozens of leaders and experts to explore ways to create market opportunities for long-term sustainable growth in Jordan. The kick-off of 17Jordan started with a discussion on the future of investing in Jordan, followed by a session on targeted SDG investments, with working groups identifying investable opportunities for pipeline development. The creation of a national urban transportation system, renewable energy businesses based in solar and wind power, and the application of technology in irrigation farming were some of the most supported business solutions to the challenges posed by the SDGs in Jordan, according to participants.The forum concluded with a session focused on financial innovation, potential partners for investment, their preferences and the lessons learnt from previous deals, in addition to civic engagement and the means to generate opportunities for women and youth.
17Jordan will continue to develop ideas and explore partnerships aimed to build the 17Jordan community. Website, next steps, and more information coming soon.
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