US embassy cable - 05AMMAN3388

UNCLAS AMMAN 003388 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR PRM, IO AND NEA 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
BRUSSELS FOR MEZNAR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, JO, UNHCR 
SUBJECT: JORDAN HOPES UNHCR EXCOM MEMBERSHIP WILL THAW ITS 
"FROZEN" DELIBERATIONS ON THE 1951 REFUGEE CONVENTION 
 
REF: A. STATE 75462 
     B. 00 AMMAN 4833 
 
1. (U)  This message is sensitive but unclassified -- 
please protect accordingly. 
 
2. (SBU) Refcoord delivered on April 28 ref A demarche 
Dr. Khalid Takhayneh of the Foreign Ministry's 
International Organizations Department.  The demarche 
supported Jordan's application for membership in UNHCR's 
Executive Committee (EXCOM), and requested a briefing on 
GOJ views of the 1951 Convention on the  Status of 
Refugees.  While welcoming USG support for Jordan's EXCOM 
bid, Takhayneh argued that the GOJ could not table 
legislation to ratify the 1951 Convention at this time, 
given the strong opposition that exists within Parliament 
to admitting any additional Iraqi or Palestinian refugees. 
Takhayneh added that relations between the GOJ and UNHCR 
were strained, and that the Foreign Ministry believed 
UNHCR had "violated" articles in its 1998 Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) which require it to find durable 
solutions for refugees within six months of their arrival 
in Jordan. 
 
3. (SBU) Asked about the inter-ministerial committee Jordan 
established in 2000 to consider accession to the 1951 
Convention (ref B), Takhayneh said that the committee had 
been charged with reviewing several international 
protocols, and that work on the refugee conventions was 
currently "frozen," given that anti-terror legislation was 
a higher priority.  When the 1951 Convention was under 
active consideration, Takhayneh said that the Interior 
Ministry had raised objections to provisions that grant 
refugees the right to work, and to Article 1.C, fearing 
that Palestinians who have been granted Jordanian 
nationality, but are considered refugees, might lose their 
refugee status.  Takayneh promised to convey the USG 
request to consider signing the convention to senior 
Foreign Ministry officials, but noted that the MFA had 
already failed to persuade other ministries to consider 
signing on to the 1967 Protocol as an intermediate step. 
However, Takhayneh welcomed any background information the 
USG could provide on implementing legislation other 
signatories from the region have adopted as potential future 
fodder. 
 
4. (SBU) At an April 26 farewell event hosted by post, UNHCR 
Jordan Rep Sten Bronee told refcoord that UNHCR had 
abandoned its efforts to press Jordan to ratify the 1951 
Convention in favor of "more realistic" options.  He 
explained that UNHCR calculates that the best commitment it 
can secure from Jordan at this time is new domestic 
legislation that would replicate the protection and 
procedural principles contained in the 1951 Convention and 
1967 Protocol, but avoid any discussion on the right of 
return by being "less specific on Article 1.C, and avoiding 
signing on to Article 1.D altogether."  (NOTE: At the field 
level, UNHCR does not appear to share our interpretation 
that Article 1.D does not apply to persons who are 
receiving protection or assistance from UNRWA.  In an April 
28 telcon, UNHCR Jordan Senior Protection Officer 
Jacqueline Parleveliet argued that UNRWA does not/not 
currently provide protection to Palestinian refugees in the 
region.  END NOTE.) 
HALE