Princess Basma became an Honorary Human Development Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1993. She has also been a member of the Judging Panel for the UNDP Awards for Human Development.
In her capacity as Honorary Ambassador, she has launched a number of initiatives on the national, regional and international levels that support the agency’s goals of eradicating poverty, ensuring environmental sustainability, improving democratic governance and protecting human rights.
For decades the Princess has promoted a development philosophy comparable to the UNDP’s, of self-reliant opportunities and the motivation of people to act in the interest of improving their own lives and those of their fellow citizens.
Princess Basma believes that Sustainable Human Development is achievable, provided certain policies and strategies are adopted and has highlighted three priorities to attain such a goal: eradication of illiteracy through free and compulsory education, improving the status of women, and a balance between human needs and resources.
Annually, she launches UNDP’s ‘Global Human Development Report’ in Jordan and brings attention to critical information that pertains to the region, in regards to that year’s theme.
The report is universally recognized as a reliable source on critical issues for human development worldwide.
Each year a new global concern is chosen and the report presents agenda-setting data and analysis concerning that theme while offering international policy proposals that put people at the centre of strategies.
In 2001, supported by the UNDP and developed in cooperation with JOHUD, the first National Human Development Report (NHDR) was launched to put forward Jordan’s development process.
The NHDR promotes people-centred and rights-based approaches to development and is supportive of pro-poor choice and voice.
Her Royal Highness headed the advisory committee of the report production and she believes that both the national and global human development reports are powerful tools that have stimulated a positive transformation in development thinking.
"It has successfully shifted concern from materialistic achievements to human development and from beyond per capita income to targeting human progress," Princess Basma said during a report launch.
In light of Princess Basma′s active role in human development, and strong commitment to voluntary work, UNDP Jordan invited her to act as the Honorary Person of the International Year of Volunteers - 2001.
The UNDP is a global development network organization that advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.
