US embassy cable - 02AMMAN5826

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 005826 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN MFA PROPOSING NEW, MORE LIBERAL LAW 
GOVERNING ITS FOREIGN SERVICE 
 
REF: AMMAN 4864 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Douglas A. Silliman for reasons 1.5 
(B) and (D) 
 
1.  (C)  MFA Legal Advisor Samer Naber told PolCouns recently 
that one of Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher's current highest 
administrative priorities is to pass through the cabinet a 
new law governing the Jordanian Foreign Service.  Naber said 
the law, which he is writing, will incorporate at Muasher's 
request strict gender equality in hiring, compensation, 
benefits, and assignments.  Jordan's tradition , Naber said, 
had been to hire unmarried women for its diplomatic service, 
but require that they resign or agree to very restricted 
careers if/when they married.  He claimed that this new law, 
if passed by the cabinet and signed by the King, will be the 
most liberal law governing public sector employment in 
Jordan. 
 
2.  (C)  In addition to gender equality, Naber said that 
Muasher wanted to enshrine in law a requirement for strong 
English language ability to apply for the Jordanian Foreign 
Service.  Muasher believes that Jordanian diplomats must have 
sophisticated English to carry out both policy and 
increasingly important trade and investment promotion 
responsibilities abroad.  Muasher had proposed to the cabinet 
that all/all applicants show proof of a TOEFL (Test of 
English as a Foreign Language) score of 600.  However, Naber 
recounted, Muasher had run into opposition on this point from 
other ministries, especially the (generally non-English 
speaking) Interior Ministry.  Eventually, Muasher convinced 
the cabinet to require s TOEFL score of 550 for all Foreign 
Service aspirants. 
 
3.  (C)  The head of Jordan's Diplomatic Institute recently 
told visiting FSI Dean Kathy Peterson that Muasher also wants 
to create an examination process for both entry into and 
promotion within the Foreign Service, and that Muasher is 
stressing the need for leadership/management training for 
diplomats who have traditionally focused on "diplomacy."  In 
addition, he said Muasher wants to increase the quality and 
frequency of economic training, as shown by the GOJ's efforts 
to bring all Jordanian Ambassador's back to Amman for a 
conference on economics and trade promotion (ref). 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
4.  (C)  The draft Foreign Service law and Muasher's emphasis 
on training reflect the forward-looking personal philosophy 
of the Foreign Minister, both in terms of gender equality and 
in preparing the Jordanian Foreign Service to integrate 
Jordan into the world economy.  It is also instructive that 
something as innocuous as an English language requirement 
created a controversy that had to be solved at the cabinet 
level. 
GNEHM