US embassy cable - 05AMMAN627

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000627 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, ELAB, KDEM, PGOV, PREL, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN: HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY 2004-2005 
 
REF: 04 STATE 267453 
 
1. Post is providing the following report as requested in 
reftel. 
 
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Human Rights Strategy 2004-2005 
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2. The Government of Jordan's respect for human rights 
remained satisfactory during the year. A human rights 
commission established by King Abdullah in 2003 continues to 
expand its activities and has taken an active role in public 
discussions. The King charged the new Government appointed in 
October 2004 to focus on administrative reforms in order to 
provide a bureaucratic environment better equipped to advance 
human rights. While the Government continues to publicly 
promote social and political reform, there is still a lack of 
progress in many areas. Members of the security forces 
sometimes act with impunity, and there are still restrictions 
on freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association. While 
citizens participated in the political process through their 
elected representatives to Parliament, they did not have the 
right to change their government. Societal discrimination 
against and restrictions on the rights of women continued to 
be problems. 
 
3. The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy promotes the 
rule of law and legal reform, civil society development, 
civic participation in the political process and women's 
rights. The United States did this through direct dialogue 
with the Jordanian Government at all levels, as well as 
programs, training and the publication of reports on human 
rights, labor, and religious freedom. 
 
4. The United States advanced its strategy by building on 
Jordanian government initiatives to strengthen human rights. 
Post continues to work with the quasi-independent National 
Center for Human Rights and the Human Rights Directorate at 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A grant from the State 
Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor 
provided training on international human rights law and 
practice to Directorate officials as well as to members of 
the Ministries of Education, Justice, and Interior. Members 
of the police, military and the National Center for Human 
Rights were also included. Most of the professional military 
education provided in the United States to Jordanian 
personnel included a human rights component. 
 
5. The U.S. Agency for International Development continues to 
support public sector reform efforts in Jordan. In the area 
of rule of law, two new programs were launched in 2004 to 
assist the Ministry of Justice to implement its reform 
strategy, which was developed last year with U.S. support. 
Programming includes the development of a judicial code of 
conduct, complete with implementation mechanisms; support for 
alternative dispute resolution, in order to reduce the 
courts' workload; automation of the country's case management 
system, which has greatly improved efficiency and 
transparency; human resources capacity building at the 
Ministry and courts; and a comprehensive program to establish 
the Judicial Institute of Jordan as a regional leader in 
judicial education. The overall goals of the programs are to 
assist Jordan to achieve its stated desire for greater social 
and political reform through increased citizen participation. 
In the coming year, additional U.S. assistance will include 
programs that strengthen the legislative process, assist 
civil society to become a stakeholder in reform, and programs 
to support a free, independent and professional local media 
sector. 
 
6. U.S. exchange programs for judges and judicial personnel 
have focused on helping Jordan reform its trial and pre-trial 
procedures for a more prompt and fair delivery of justice. 
The exchange programs included bringing Jordanian judges to 
the United States, where they observed U.S. courts and were 
provided with training. Follow-on activities will continue in 
Jordan. Post also funded a regional conference of women 
lawyers and judges to promote women's rights through more 
effective representation in the judiciary. 
 
7. The United States promoted broader participation in the 
political process, particularly among women. In July, 11 
members of parliament and two parliament staffers visited the 
United States on a program focusing on the role of 
legislators in the democratic process. Post executed a grant 
agreement with a local non-governmental organization to 
provide a series of workshops on enhancing the performance of 
female members of parliament and women leaders. Through the 
Middle East Partnership Initiative the United States has 
funded a Freedom House campaign against family violence. The 
campaign has included awareness-raising workshops held in 
universities and local communities throughout Jordan. In 
December, post commemorated the anniversary of signing of the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights by hosting a panel 
discussion of women activists on the issue of gender violence 
in Jordan. The event was well attended and received positive 
press coverage. 
 
8. The United States sought to promote media independence and 
professionalism through a conference on press freedom held in 
April. The objective of the conference, organized by the 
Committee for the Defense of the Freedom of Journalists, was 
to inform members of parliament and government officials 
about the concerns of journalists regarding their rights and 
responsibilities.  In June the Embassy held a conference on 
women in the media that promoted public awareness of women's 
rights. 
 
9. The United States tracked and reported on religious 
freedom cases, and U.S. officials discussed individual cases 
with Jordanian counterparts at the highest levels. The United 
State hosted four members of the Jordanian Interfaith 
Coexistence Research Center to participate in an 
international visitor program on religious tolerance. 
 
10. All assistance under the U.S. Agency for International 
Development's diverse program portfolio integrated the 
crosscutting themes of gender equality, youth, 
anti-corruption, and support for the protection of 
disenfranchised segments of the population. 
 
11. The United States maintained dialogue with key actors in 
the labor sector, including union leaders, International 
Labor Organization officials, industrial park managers, 
factory owners and government representatives. On several 
occasions U.S. officials discussed with the Government 
implementation of Jordan's international commitments to fight 
child labor and trafficking. 
 
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Addendum - Programs Valued at Over $100,000 
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12. USAID Democracy and Governance Support Program 
($8,860,000): USAID funded ABA-CEELI, DPK Consulting, RTI and 
numerous local service providers to support the Government of 
Jordan's efforts to reform and modernize its justice sector. 
The goal of USAID's governance portfolio is to support the 
ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Justice to promote 
systemic rule of law reform, foster grassroots reform through 
municipal empowerment, strengthen the capacity of the 
legislature as a representational body of Jordanian citizens, 
assist civil society to become a stakeholder in reform, and 
facilitate the emergence of a free, independent, and 
professional media. 
 
13. Campaign Against Family Violence ($500,000): A 
MEPI-funded program implemented by the American 
non-governmental organization Freedom House in cooperation 
with several Jordanian partners. The program seeks to raise 
the awareness of family violence in Jordan through workshops 
at universities and local communities. 
 
14. Strengthening the Social Partners Capacity for Promotion 
of Social Dialogue in Jordan ($1,390,000): The U.S. 
Department of Labor funded this multi-year program from 
November 2001 to October 2004. The project supported the 
application of the International Labor Organization's 
Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and 
promoted social dialogue. The project also sought to 
strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Labor to promote 
and apply core labor standards. 
 
15. National Program for the Prevention and Elimination of 
Child Labor in Jordan ($1,000,000): The U.S. Department of 
Labor funds this multi-year project to eliminate child labor 
in Jordan. Project duration is from September 2002 to January 
2007 and seeks to strengthen the capacity of key institutions 
to address child labor issues and to raise awareness about 
the negative consequences of child labor. 
 
16. International Military Education and Training (IMET) 
($2,500,000): The U.S. Department of Defense funded IMET 
training in the United States to officers in the Jordanian 
military. This training exposed students to U.S. judicial and 
governmental institutions and includes discussions and course 
modules on respect for human rights. 
 
17. Educating for Democracy in the Muslim World ($900,000): 
The U.S. Department of State funded Street Law, Inc. and the 
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy to develop a 
democracy education program targeting civil society in 
Jordan, Algeria, Egypt and Morocco. 
HALE