Jordan

The Danish Institute for Human Rights works to strenghten the work of key state actors in Jordan in order to increase their capacity to respect, protect and fulfil, as well as promote, human rights. The institute provides substantial and organisational human rights expertise to improve the human rights situation and the national human rights protection systems. 

The Danish Institute for Human Rights contributes to strengthening the human rights system in Jordan by: 

• Providing technical support and capacity building to national human rights actors such as key state and governmental institutions,
• Supporting our sister organisation, the National Center for Human Rights to function in accordance with the Paris Principles and actively promote and protect human rights,
• Supporting governmental human rights focal points in fulfilling their mandates, both in regard to international obligations and national human rights agendas, and
• Generate knowledge, exchange experience, promote awareness-raising, network for mutual capacity development and learning in the Middle East and North Africa and in Denmark.

Why?

The civil war in Syria and the on-going political instability of the region are having a direct impact on Jordan, where several hundred thousand people have sought refuge since the start of the armed conflicts in the neighbouring country. The consequences of the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts threatens both the labour market and the socio-political cohesion.  In addition, the spread of COVID-19 is heavily impacting the economic and social sectors of Jordan.

Though Jordan remains a unique Arab country that enjoys stability and a good relationship with its neighbours, serious challenges persist to ensure accountability for violations of international human rights law. Despite efforts to strengthen the system of accountability, critical key steps, notably including those recommended by the UN treaty bodies, international and national civil society organisations, remain unimplemented, partially implemented, or are not followed in practice. 

During its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on November 8, 2018, Jordan received 226 recommendations from other UN Member States, and aimed at improving the human rights situation in the country. 66 per cent of the recommendations were accepted, while the rest were merely “noted”, which in practice means they were rejected. The Danish Institute for Human Rights support Jordan’s efforts to implement the UPR recommendations and strengthen the human rights situation in the country  

Our objective

We engage with national human rights actors like ministries, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and parliaments, to strengthen the capacity and motivation to drive collaborative, effective and mutually supporting human rights change.

How we work

The Danish Institute for Human Rights has been present in Jordan for nearly a decade. Our engagement build on long-term partnerships with national human rights actors such as key state governmental institutions. We support our partners to be leaders and successful in their relevant human rights systems.

 

Our partners in Jordan

• The Government Coordinator for Human Rights at the Prime Minister’s office
• The Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• The Jordanian National Centre for Human Rights.

UN recommendations 

The United Nations monitors the human rights situation in all countries and experts and member states give recommendations to individual governments. Read the UN recommendations to Jordan here.