‘Compass’ launched to document gov’t pledges

AMMAN — Transparency International’s Jordanian chapter, Rasheed for Intregrity and Transparency, recently launched the “Jordanian compass for transparency” to document government pledges, according to a statement sent by Rasheed.

The compass contrasts and analyses what the government has, and has not addressed from its ministerial statement presented on July 8, 2018 and transparency and integrity commitments made at various forums and through recommendations.

The compass includes pledges for the Open Government Initiative, the London 2016 Anti-Corruption Summit as well as the recommendations of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Shadow Report prepared by Rasheed and recommendations from the National Integrity System.

The compass aims to serve as a guiding force for the government on the national and international levels, according to the statement sent by Rasheed.

According to the compass, Jordan’s commitments to the Open Government Initiative included strengthening regulatory legislative frameworks on freedom of information and adopting the principle of budget disclosure, in accordance with international standards. The compass reported that 87.5 per cent of the Open Government Initiative’s commitments had been addressed.

However, the Anti-Corruption Summit London 2016 commitments, which included pledges of tackling beneficial ownership, public procurement, money laundering, asset recovery and international anti-corruption fell far shorter at only 9 per cent. 

The compass also addressed the recommendations of Rasheed’s SDGs Shadow Report — updated annually — which was meant to improve the performance and enhance the country’s ability to achieve the sub-goals 4, 5 and 10 of Goal 16 of the UN’s (SDGs). According to the statement, the government undertook 30 per cent of those recommendations.

The statement added that the government also addressed 54 per cent of the overall recommendations put forth by the National Integrity Commission, which was prepared by Rasheed. 

Executive Director of Rasheed Abeer Mdanat said in the statement: "We are looking forward to having the ‘Jordanian Compass for Transparency’ in linking the international conventions and the national recommendations to the government's approach on transparency, integrity and its combat against corruption.”

Abeer Mdanat added that the “Jordanian Compass for Transparency” was available on the organisation’s website through: https://bit.ly/2Kdwa7M 

Rasheed for Integrity and Transparency is the official chapter of Transparency International in Jordan, which is a non-governmental civil society organisation based in Berlin, Germany, the statement added.