Civil society to voice demands to officials for universal periodic review

AMMAN — Government Coordinator for Human Rights Basil Tarawneh on Tuesday said his office will prepare a meeting with civil society representatives and deputies early next month to discuss Jordan’s commitment to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

A unique mechanism of the Human Rights Council conducted every five years, the UPR includes a national review of the human rights records in all 193 UN member states.

“We will hold a consultative meeting to review the human rights situation in Jordan and to hear remarks from the civil society,” Tarawneh told The Jordan Times.

A report on the situation of human rights in Jordan will be submitted to UPR in July, while the civil society will present its shadow report in late March.  Both reports will then be presented in Geneva in late 2018 during the UPR meeting.  

The idea is to “form an expanded coalition for civil society institutions to complete a periodic comprehensive review of human rights in Jordan 2018”, Tarawneh explained.

“We want to join hands with the civil society by including all their remarks in our report in addition to the shadow report that they plan to submit ahead of our report,” he continued, noting that it is part of the Kingdom’s commitment to fulfilling its obligation towards ensuring the “value and core of human rights”.

Laila Naffa, from the Arab Women Organisation, said she welcomes the meeting, expected to take place on March 5, noting her “hope to see the government adopt all the civil society’s remarks and demands”.

“For example, we are hopeful that the government will adopt our demands of ensuring citizenship to the spouses and children of Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians,” Naffa told The Jordan Times.

As it stands now, Jordanian men have the full privilege of passing on citizenship to their foreign wives and their children, while Jordanian women do not enjoy the same rights.

“This is an ongoing matter that affects thousands of Jordanian families. I believe the meeting will be a good chance for Jordan to clear its stand from this issue, especially as many neighbouring countries have already changed their stand and are offering citizenship to families of women who are married to other nationalities,” Naffa added.