Jordan prepares for fourth human rights review, emphasising reforms, civil society engagement

AMMAN — Director of the Prime Ministry’s Human Rights Department (HRD) Khalil Abdallat on Tuesday said the Kingdom is in the final preparation stages to discuss the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva later this month.  

Abdallat spoke during a one-day meeting with local organisations and government representatives who presented their reports to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR).

The Kingdom is expected to discuss the preparations for Jordan’s Fourth Universal Periodic Review 2024 on January 25.

This is the last meeting with the local organisations before heading to Geneva later this month, Abdallat told The Jordan Times.

“We will meet with around 26 Jordanian organisation’s representatives in Geneva after the report is submitted,” Abdallat added.    

The UPR, along with the Human Rights Council, was established by UN Resolution 60/251 in 2006. Under this mechanism, the human rights records of all UN member states will be reviewed once every four to five years, using the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other instruments as a foundation. The review also considers all voluntary pledges and commitments made by the state. 

Abdallat also pointed out that “what distinguishes the report is that it comes at a phase that is focusing on strengthening the system of political, economic and administrative reforms, initiated by His Majesty King Abdullah”.

This, Abdallat added, comes under the directives of the Prime Minister to “expand the national consultation methodology by assigning the HRD to conduct consultations with the relevant institutions”.

“We conducted 14 meetings with civil society organisations, parliamentarians, people with disabilities, women groups, the youth as well as national and governmental entities,” according to Abdallat.

Jordan’s report covers the period from 2018 to 2023 and includes seven basic pillars including general issues that focus on promoting equality and eliminating all forms of discrimination, and the institutional and the legal framework.