The Higher Population Council saw light in 1973 with the establishment of what was known then as the "National Population Commission" With a sincere initiative by Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal, a dedicated population and development royalty, the Jordanian government developed a General Secretariat for the “National Population Commission” in 1988. The secretariat worked as the executive arm of the Commission. In 2002, The Higher Population Council (HPC) was founded to replace the Commission and was headed by the Prime Minister to address a number of population issues that affect development. In 2008, HPC was reformed and headed by the Prime Minster, then reconstituted in 2012 under the chairmanship of the Minister of Planning & International Cooperation.