US embassy cable - 03AMMAN4538

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004538 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PINR, SOCI, JO 
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRESS:  GOJ CREATES TWO NEW HUMAN 
RIGHTS BODIES 
 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B)(D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C)  Over the past few months, the GOJ has created two 
new governmental human rights organizations -- the National 
Center for Human Rights and a Directorate of Human Rights in 
the Foreign Ministry.  While the work of these new 
institutions has ramped up too slowly for local activists, 
their creation is a positive step that will create human 
rights stakeholders within the GOJ.  Both organizations have 
approached the Embassy about the possibility of USG funding 
for training their employees.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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NEW NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER 
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2.  (U)  The Government of Jordan (GOJ) established a 
National Center for Human Rights (the Center) through a 
temporary law which came into effect on December 23, 2002. 
The law lays out the basic structure, objectives, rights, and 
responsibilities of the Center, constituted as an independent 
governmental body.  In February 2003, the GOJ named a 13 
member Board of Trustees with Ahmad Obeidat as chairman, and 
the Board named Dr. Walid Saadi Commissioner General for 
Human Rights and director of the Center at its first meeting 
on March 30.  The Center has since taken up residence in a 
former government guest house in Amman and staff members have 
begun their work. 
 
3.  (U)  The Center has educational, protective, and 
correctional responsibilities.  These include recording and 
monitoring alleged abuses reported to the Center, preparing 
an annual report, liaising with national and international 
bodies, and proposing human rights policies to the 
government.  It will also train personnel from across the 
government on HR issues.  Under the law, the Center,s 
financing will come from a number of sources, among them an 
annual subsidy from the GOJ, grants from sources acceptable 
to the Cabinet, and religious endowments (awqaf). 
 
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ACTIVISTS CRITICIZE SLOW START 
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4.  (C)  Two key Embassy human rights contacts outside the 
Center feel that progress on getting the Center established 
and operating has been slow.  One pointed out that this is in 
line with the national sentiment for consensus and slow 
change.  Both agreed that the choice of Obeidat as Board 
chairman sends the wrong signal to the average Jordanian, 
i.e. that there is a strong link between the status quo, 
particularly the security services, and the Center.  While 
there may be bureaucratic advantages to the choice of 
chairman, they feel these advantages will be outweighed by 
his background in intelligence and government.  At the same 
time, they readily agreed that establishment of the Center is 
a sign of progress and they are anxious to work with it. 
 
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NEW MFA HUMAN RIGHTS DIRECTORATE 
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5.  (C)  On March 5, 2003, FM Marwan Muasher ordered the 
creation of a Human Rights Directorate within the MFA. 
Currently staffed with five diplomats, it is divided into 
four sections responsible for (1) international HR 
agreements, (2) international organizations and responses to 
foreign governments, HR reports, (3) regional HR 
organizations and NGOs, and (4) &human security8 and 
international &human law.8  In addition to these foci, it 
is also tasked with examining Jordanian legislation in order 
to facilitate harmonization with international agreements the 
GOJ has ratified, and participating in GOJ committees which 
implement these agreements, i.e. it will also have a key 
internal focus.  Bisher Khasawneh, the head of the new 
Directorate, hopes it will improve Jordanian interaction with 
NGOs and IOs and enhance GOJ public relations in reaction to 
HR reports.  He has approached the USG to help train new MFA 
HR officers in international human rights law and interacting 
with HR NGOs. 
 
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COMMENT 
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6.  (C)  The creation of these two organizations is a good 
start in creating human rights stakeholders within the GOJ, 
something that has long been missing.  Post hopes to sustain 
momentum with the GOJ on HR issues, including through the 
recently announced DRL Human Rights and Democratization Fund 
training grant, which should benefit both organizations.  End 
comment. 
 
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BIO NOTES 
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7.  (C)  The new Chairman, Ahmed Obeidat, is a former Prime 
Minister and head of the General Intelligence Directorate, 
and led the temporary human rights commission that the King 
appointed in 200 to make recommendations on human rights 
policy.  He is well-connected politically and has a 
reputation for being independent in his thinking and actions, 
as well as socially progressive.  Human rights activists have 
told us that he has used his connections to intervene in 
individual human rights cases that have come to his 
attention.  At the same time, those same contacts criticized 
Obeidat for using personal connections to intervene, rather 
than working to change the system and make institutions and 
individuals more accountable.  He has a record of strong 
cooperation with the Embassy Public Affairs Section. 
 
8.  (C)  Walid as-Saadi, the new Commissioner, did his 
undergraduate studies at Southern Methodist University and 
went to law school at the University of Chicago. He is a 
retired diplomat with previous HR experience at the UN. The 
staff members at the Center are largely young lawyers, IT 
workers, and university graduates brought in from outside 
government. 
 
9.  (C)  Bisher Khasawneh, head of the MFA's HR Directorate, 
also has responsibilities as Director of the MFA's public 
Communications Department (i.e. press relations).  Khasawneh 
is a lawyer by training, and has been assigned to work at in 
the Jordanian Mission to the UN starting in the Spring of 
2004. 
HALE