Universal Periodic Review under Item 6:
Universal Periodic Review Item 6: Universal Periodic Review on Jordan
14 March 2019
Oral Statement by: International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Dscrimination (EAFORD) and Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ)
Thank you Mr. President,
We welcome the Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Jordan and appreciate the progress made by the Jordanian Government in laws, practice and policy relating to human rights which reflects a positive will; we hope it will continue to safeguard human dignity and fundamental freedoms.
Despite the official efforts made to advance the human rights situation, there are still a number of challenges that hinder progress in this area, in particular:
• The Rights of women: every year about 15 to 20 women still face a crime by a male family member in the name of contravening social norms of “honour” and the Penal Code still allows reduced sentences for those who murder their spouses when discovered committing adultery.
• Right to the fundamental freedoms and the right to participate in public and political life: the government’s restriction on connectivity and the passage of law that chills freedom of expression rights online. From June 2016 to May 2017, the telecom operators in Jordan continued to block VoIP calling features on various communication applications, including Viber, WhatsApp, and Skype.
For the above reasons, EAFORD and Geneva International Centre for Justice encourage the Jordanian Government to:
• Continue working on the effective implementation of the Comprehensive National Human Rights Plan until 2025, with the broad participation of civil society
• Strengthen programmes aimed at building capacity for judges, prosecutors, lawyers and officials responsible for compliance with the law, in application of the standards of international organizations relating to women’s rights
• Provide shelter services and protection to vulnerable women threatened with honor crimes instead of protective imprisonment
Thank you Mr. President
