US embassy cable - 04AMMAN4061

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004061 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR DRL/PHD: KARA CUMBERLAND AND NEA/ARN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, EAID, KDEM, JO 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY AMMAN PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 
AND DEMOCRACY FUND 
 
REF: A. A) AMMAN 3504 
 
     B. B) STATE 65803 
     C. C) FELLOWS-LEVISON MAY 3 AND FEB 26 E-MAILS 
     D. D) AMMAN 1232 
     E. E) AMMAN 842 
 
1. Embassy Amman is pleased to submit a project proposal for 
the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor's (DRL's) 
consideration. Per the invitation in reftel B, post seeks 
funding for this proposal from DRL's FY2004 Human Rights and 
Democracy Fund (HRDF). This proposal would build on post's 
success with FY2003 HRDF funding and support our human rights 
strategy (ref E) by providing groundbreaking human rights 
training and support to Government of Jordan (GOJ) employees. 
 
2. In February and April 2004, post arranged for a human 
rights activist on sabbatical from Amnesty International (AI) 
and two American academics with extensive IO experience to 
present training, lectures, and some one-on-one counseling to 
more than forty GOJ employees and others on human rights 
topics. Held in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MFA) and the new National Center for Human Rights 
(NCHR), participants included over a dozen MFA personnel, 
staff of the NCHR, and smaller numbers from the Jordanian 
Armed Forces, police, intelligence, and the Ministries of 
Interior, Education, and Justice (refs C and D). When 
proposed, this was a unique round of training in Jordan's 
history, though the NCHR is now carrying out similar training 
efforts for GOJ personnel. The sessions provided the 
participants essential background on international standards 
and practices. While other results of these efforts remain 
largely unmeasured, the networking opportunities alone made 
the training worthwhile for many participants. For example, 
the April training session was held at the NCHR, which most 
of the GOJ employees had never visited. 
 
3. Unfortunately, given the NCHR's short track record and its 
status as quasi-governmental, it is not recognized widely 
enough and is typically not eligible to qualify for outside 
funding, which it might if it were an established NGO. Given 
its limited GOJ-appropriated budget, the NCHR has little 
capacity for bringing foreign experts to Jordan (ref A). The 
staff, while interested and engaged, are largely young and 
inexperienced, with the AI activist who worked with the NCHR 
in April pointing out that it has yet to discuss staff 
development or strategic planning. The NCHR's cooperation 
with NGOs is also in a nascent stage, though cooperation with 
international NGOs was facilitated by the activist's visit. 
GOJ officials in other human rights-related assignments are 
mostly new to the human rights field, and virtually all are 
new in their positions, which have been created only in the 
last few years. 
 
4. Post proposes three sessions of training to be funded by 
the HRDF and in cooperation with the NCHR. Post would 
identify an outside expert with substantive experience to 
conduct each session, to be held on mutually agreeable dates 
at periodic intervals over the coming fiscal year. Based on 
their positive contributions in the past, we plan to work 
with the International Human Rights Law Institute at DePaul 
University and the AI activist, as well as other persons they 
might recommend. Audiences of 15-20 persons per session would 
include GOJ employees and, in at least one of the sessions, 
NGOs. For this session, the theme would be the role of NGOs 
and general human rights advocacy, with participation 
determined by the NCHR. Another session, in cooperation with 
the MFA, would repeat much of the substance of the February 
session, which focused on international human rights 
instruments, standards and bodies. The MFA and the Institute 
for Diplomacy, which hosted the February training, have 
expressed a desire to repeat this training and are 
considering doing so on an annual basis, perhaps as part of 
the basic training offered to beginning diplomats. The third 
session would focus on the development of the NCHR itself, 
with a focus on planning and the work of national human 
rights organizations. In order to expand the reach of the 
training sessions to more traditional elements of the GOJ 
such as the police and Interior Ministry, English-Arabic 
interpretation would be provided. Each session would last 
three or four working days and, with the exception of some 
NCHR staff who participated in sessions already held, would 
include GOJ personnel not previously trained. 
 
5. The estimated cost of this proposal is 21,000 USD. Each 
session would cost approximately 6500 USD, consisting of 
airfare (3000 USD), per diem (200 USD/day), honorarium (200 
USD/day) and interpretation (225 USD/day interpreter and 250 
USD/day equipment). Additional material and incidental costs, 
such as copying and translation of course materials, are 
estimated at 1500 USD. No rental fees for facilities are 
included as the NCHR and the Institute for Diplomacy have 
offered to host these events at no cost, and the Institute 
may be able to provide interpretation equipment for any 
sessions held there. Post has personnel with grant signing 
authority and would administer these funds directly. The 
action officer would be PolOff Keith Heffern (ETA 6/2004), 
with PolCouns Chris Henzel (ETA 8/2004) as back-up. Given 
timely approval and disbursal of the funds, the three 
sessions can be conducted prior to a change in personnel. 
Project evaluation would be in the form of written reports by 
the action officer, based in part on feedback from course 
participants. 
 
6. Short term goals of this training are awareness raising 
and capacity building within the GOJ, especially given the 
lack of relevant experience among most GOJ personnel. This 
would capitalize on the current government's charge by King 
Abdullah to promote a human rights culture in Jordan. Over 
the long term, we hope to create a cadre of concerned and 
informed GOJ employees who would be stakeholders in such a 
human rights culture. Given its potentially key role in 
promoting and defending human rights in Jordan, post also 
seeks to build the NCHR's training capacity immediately and 
to raise its standing as an institution over the long term by 
promoting its independence and efficacy. Given the lack of 
long-term commitments, the sustainability of this proposal is 
not a serious concern. Post seeks funding for this proposal 
through the HRDF because it fills a niche not filled by MEPI 
and the newly-established AID Democracy and Governance 
country program, which have focused on other sectors. 
GNEHM