DOCSLIB.ORG

Jordan Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Assessment

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Jordan Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Assessment JORDAN RULE OF LAW AND ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSESSMENT Prepared under Task Order, AID-278-TO-13-00001 under the Democracy and Governance Analytical Ser- vices Indefinite Quantity Contract, AID-OAA-I-10-00004. Submitted to: USAID/Jordan Prepared by: Charles Costello Rick Gold Keith Henderson Contractor: Democracy International, Inc. 7600 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1010 Bethesda, MD 20814 Tel: 301.961.1660 Email: [email protected] JORDAN RULE OF LAW AND ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSESS- MENT June 2013 The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 BACKGROUND .................................................................................... 2 PART I: RULE OF LAW ....................................................................... 5 PART II: ANTI-CORRUPTION ......................................................... 24 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................... 46 ANNEX A: PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES......... A-1 ANNEX B: SCOPE OF WORK ........................................................ B-1 ANNEX C: BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................... C-1 ANNEX D: LIST OF INTERVIEWEES ........................................... D-1 ACRONYMS ABA American Bar Association ACC Anti-Corruption Commission CC Constitutional Court Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination CEDAW Against Women CJP European Union Criminal Justice Project CSO Civil Society Organization CSS University of Jordan Centre for Strategic Studies DG Democracy & Governance DI Democracy International, Inc. EU European Union GI Global Integrity GID General Intelligence Directorate GOJ Government of Jordan IEC Independent Elections Commission IMF International Monetary Fund JCLA Justice Center for Legal Aid JIJ Judicial Institute of Jordan JIS Judicial Inspection Service MOJ Ministry of Justice NCHR National Center for Human Rights NGO Non-Governmental Organization NIC National Integrity Commission PSD Public Security Directorate ROL Rule of Law ROLP USAID Rule of Law Project SSC State Security Court JORDAN RULE OF LAW AND ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSESSMENT i TI Transparency International UN United Nations UNCAC United Nations Convention Against Corruption UNDP United Nations Development Program USAID U.S. Agency for International Development USG U.S. Government JORDAN RULE OF LAW AND ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSESSMENT ii INTRODUCTION This report provides a targeted analysis of the status of rule of law and corruption in Jordan. The analysis, find- ings and prioritized recommendations do not necessarily represent an official position of USAID. Instead, they represent the work of an independent team of experts and are designed to guide the development of a five- year USAID programming strategy for rule of law and anti-corruption. The report includes an assessment of the primary constraints and opportunities for programming in these two areas in an integrated fashion, as well as a review of existing rule of law and anti-corruption programs supported by international donors. As called for in the contract Statement of Work, the report contains separate analyses for rule of law and anti-corruption, with an effort throughout to demonstrate how an integrated program covering both areas might create synergies that would result in greater overall impact. The report includes a recommendation as to whether a single project covering the two areas or separate projects for rule of law and anti-corruption offers greater promise. The rule of law analysis follows the USAID Framework for a Rule of Law Assessment and takes into account current USAID/Jordan projects as well as those of other donors. Given the Mission’s more than decade-long investment in two consecutive rule of law projects, the report draws on a wealth of programming experience and lessons learned, which also include rule of law assessments done in 2008 and 2011. Developments since 2011, particularly the so-called Arab Spring, made a new analysis timely. As the Mission has already made a strategic decision to continue working on rule of law programs as current projects near their endpoints, the analysis focuses on what activities in those projects merit continuation and what new initiatives should be con- sidered. The anti-corruption analysis also follows the USAID Framework for an Anti-Corruption Assessment but with a somewhat different focus. As USAID/Jordan does not have any current anti-corruption programming, the analysis spends more time looking at the basic considerations and enabling environment concerning corrup- tion, also taking into consideration the impact of the Arab Spring. This analysis will help USAID to determine whether a new anti-corruption program is warranted at this time and, if so, what would be the parameters and content of such a program. Following this introductory section, the reader will find a Background section discussing Jordan’s unique coun- try context, followed by a Rule of Law section and an Anti-Corruption section, both of which discuss con- straints and opportunities. A Findings and Recommendations section synthesizes the analysis and lays out key underlying findings from the investigation that in turn lead to recommendations about what programming choices should be made. Annex A then treats in greater detail the project-level activities proposed, in order of priority and with the supporting rationale and expected results, also as requested in the contract Statement of Work. Gender and youth issues receive specific attention. JORDAN RULE OF LAW AND ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSESSMENT 1 BACKGROUND It is worth remembering that Jordan is a very young nation-state. Still a part of the Ottoman Empire when World War I broke out in 1914, local tribes joined the Great Arab Revolt under the leadership of Mecca- born Hashemite Sherif Hussein bin Ali against Ottoman forces, with support from Britain. After the war, in 1921 Britain exercised a League of Nations Mandate over newly recognized Transjordan, with the Hashemite Emir Abdullah. In 1946, only some 70 years ago, the country gained full independence as a nation-state, with Abdullah I proclaimed by Parliament as its first King. The country officially became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1949. The dynasty rules Jordan to this day. As a reference point, Amman, though one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, had a pop- ulation of only some 2,000 people in 1909. In 2010, 100 years later, it numbered 1.9 million, and today prob- ably more than 2 million people, an astounding 1,000% increase. Underlying these numbers is another dra- matic demographic transition as well. Fueled by the influx of Palestinians after the 1948 and 1967 wars with Israel, residents of Palestinian origin with Jordanian citizenship are now estimated to represent as much as two-thirds of today’s total national population of 6.5 million people. Until recently a predominantly rural coun- try, more than 80% of Jordanians now live in urban areas, with the rural-urban divide to a great extent mirror- ing the geographic-origin divide. As a consequence of this history, the basic concept of Jordanian citizenship, felt ties to the monarchy with its tribal foundations, and the self-identity of the Jordanian nation and people itself is still a work in progress. Con- tinued strong tribal loyalties, the demographic divide between so-called East Bankers and those of Palestinian background, and the cultural impact of economic modernization on traditional customs all powerfully define what the democratic “rule of law” principle means in the Jordanian context. This also impacts how it can be strengthened in a powerful but constitutionally-based monarchy with an important symbolic relationship to national identity. Also, corrupt practices, as defined crimes in a modern legal system, still clash with non- transparent government institutions and the widely accepted social custom of favoritism and use of special connections known as wasta to influence public decisions and access to benefits. With practically indefensible borders and a poor natural resource endowment, the desert Kingdom has always been subject to external influences in the turbulent Middle Eastern region. Free-spending fiscal policies con- stantly in excess of revenues in order to support a certain political model have required significant budget support transfers from other countries to remain viable. A laudable long-term program of economic liberaliza- tion, but alongside lower foreign budget support, has constrained the ability to run large fiscal deficits and maintain subsidies on energy and other basic goods. Jordan is in need of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Agreement to bolster its public finances in spite of the public dissatisfaction the required fiscal austerity pro- gram is certain to bring. Enter also the so-called Arab Spring, the public uprisings beginning in 2008 against autocratic rulers in Arab countries. Jordan, with a political system aptly described as “liberalized authoritarianism,” was not immune to this phenomenon. Continued public demonstrations for reforms beginning in 2010 remained largely peaceful, but prompted King Abdullah II in a nationally televised address in 2011 to announce his objective of a political reform path leading ultimately to a democratic, constitutional monarchy structure.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Corruption Trends in the Middle East and North Africa Region (2007-2011)
    www.transparency.org www.cmi.no Corruption trends in the Middle East and North Africa Region (2007-2011) Query What do anti-corruption indexes and experts say about the levels and types of corruption in MENA countries over the last five years? What are the main areas and sources of corruption? Are there specific themes and issues that are common to a number of countries? What record do governments have in tackling corruption? Are there any examples of successful anti-corruption reforms in countries in the MENA region over the past five years? We are especially interested in country based issues - rather than regional – for Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia and Libya. Purpose Summary This Expert Answer is to assist with developing a new anti-corruption strategy in the MENA region. In Revolutions sweeping across the Middle East and particular, the donor is interested in approaches it can North Africa (MENA) region during 2011 have shone take to reduce corruption in Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, light on widespread corruption, particularly political Tunisia and Libya. The aim is to pursue effective anti- corruption in the form of stolen assets by seemingly all corruption strategies in order to contribute to peace and the deposed leaders. There also has been widespread stability in the region. evidence of prolific patronage, nepotism, and collusion between the public and private sectors that has Content contributed to the heightened levels of civil unrest and public protests. 1. Corruption trends in the MENA region (2007 – 2011) The key anti-corruption indexes — namely Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions 2. Country specific themes, issues and anti- Index, the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Transformation corruption reforms Index, Global Integrity’s Report, Freedom House’s 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Justice Journal
    JUSTICE JOURNAL The JUSTICE Journal aims to promote debate on topical issues relating to human rights and the rule of law. It focuses on JUSTICE’s core areas of expertise and concern: • human rights • criminal justice • equality • EU justice and home affairs • the rule of law • access to justice www.justice.org.uk Section head JUSTICE – advancing justice, human rights and the rule of law JUSTICE is an independent law reform and human rights organisation. It works largely through policy- orientated research; interventions in court proceedings; education and training; briefings, lobbying and policy advice. It is the British section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). The JUSTICE Journal editorial advisory board: Philip Havers QC, One Crown Office Row Barbara Hewson, Hardwicke Civil Professor Carol Harlow, London School of Economics Anthony Edwards, TV Edwards JUSTICE, 59 Carter Lane, London EC4V 5AQ Tel: +44 (0)20 7329 5100 Fax: +44 (0)20 7329 5055 E-mail: [email protected] www.justice.org.uk © JUSTICE 2006 ISSN 1743-2472 Designed by Adkins Design Printed by Hobbs the Printers Ltd, Southampton C o n t e n t s JUSTICE Journal ContentsTitle title Editorial WritingAuthor it down name 4 Roger Smith Papers Five years on from 9/11 – time to reassert the rule of law 8 Mary Robinson Politics and the law: constitutional balance or institutional confusion? 18 Jeffrey Jowell QC Lifting the ban on intercept evidence in terrorism cases 34 Eric Metcalfe Articles Parliamentary scrutiny: an assessment of the work of the constitutional 62
    [Show full text]
  • Youth Activism in Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan As Case Studies
    Structure of Mobilization and Democratization: Youth Activism in Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan as Case Studies by Mohammad Yaghi A Thesis presented to The University of Guelph In partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science Guelph, Ontario, Canada © Mohammad Yaghi, April, 2015 ABSTRACT STRUCTURE OF MOBILIZATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION: YOUTH ACTIVISM IN TUNISIA, EGYPT, AND JORDAN AS CASE STUDIES Mohammad Yaghi Advisors: Professor Janine A. Clark University of Guelph, 2015 Professor Jordi Diez Professor Francesco Cavatorta This dissertation argues for a correlation between the dynamics of the protests at their climax and the processes of democratization in case these protests succeed. Using youth activism in Tunisia and Egypt where the protests succeeded, and in Jordan where they failed as a contrasting case study, this research shows that youth activism leads to democratization if three conditions are met at the protests’ apex: domination of autonomous youth movements, an inclusive master frame (MF), and a decentralized leadership. In doing so, the research provides an atypical narrative about the role of activists during the protests in Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan. The primary sources that informed this research are not only based on the activists themselves, but also on the analysis of the protests videos, slogans, and documents of the youth movements. Furthermore, the research contributes to the literature on social movements in four domains. First, it reveals that the state’s use of repression and the way it uses it is a necessary condition, but is insufficient to turn a reform protest cycle into a revolution; the other necessary condition is that an autonomous opposition also must be dominant when the state uses repression.
    [Show full text]
  • Here a Causal Relationship? Contemporary Economics, 9(1), 45–60
    Bibliography on Corruption and Anticorruption Professor Matthew C. Stephenson Harvard Law School http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/mstephenson/ March 2021 Aaken, A., & Voigt, S. (2011). Do individual disclosure rules for parliamentarians improve government effectiveness? Economics of Governance, 12(4), 301–324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10101-011-0100-8 Aaronson, S. A. (2011a). Does the WTO Help Member States Clean Up? Available at SSRN 1922190. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1922190 Aaronson, S. A. (2011b). Limited partnership: Business, government, civil society, and the public in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Public Administration and Development, 31(1), 50–63. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.588 Aaronson, S. A., & Abouharb, M. R. (2014). Corruption, Conflicts of Interest and the WTO. In J.-B. Auby, E. Breen, & T. Perroud (Eds.), Corruption and conflicts of interest: A comparative law approach (pp. 183–197). Edward Elgar PubLtd. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebookbatch.GEN_batch:ELGAR01620140507 Abbas Drebee, H., & Azam Abdul-Razak, N. (2020). The Impact of Corruption on Agriculture Sector in Iraq: Econometrics Approach. IOP Conference Series. Earth and Environmental Science, 553(1), 12019-. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/553/1/012019 Abbink, K., Dasgupta, U., Gangadharan, L., & Jain, T. (2014). Letting the briber go free: An experiment on mitigating harassment bribes. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS, 111(Journal Article), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2013.12.012 Abbink, Klaus. (2004). Staff rotation as an anti-corruption policy: An experimental study. European Journal of Political Economy, 20(4), 887–906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2003.10.008 Abbink, Klaus.
    [Show full text]
  • The Jordan Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences (JJEES)
    The Jordan Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences (JJEES) JJEES is an international peer-reviewed research journal, issued by the Deanship of Academic Research and Graduate Studies, the Hashemite University, in corporation with, the Jordanian Scientific Research Support Fund, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Professor Abdul Rahim A. Hamdan The Hashemite University Editorial board − Professor Abdulkader M. Abed − Professor Sameh Gharaibeh University of Jordan Yarmouk University − Professor Hani N. Khoury − Professor Ahmad Abu Hilal University of Jordan Yarmouk University − Professor Zuhair H. El-Isa − Professor Issa Makhlouf University of Jordan The Hashemite University − Professor Tayel M. El-Hasan Mu'tah University THE INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD − Prof. Sayed Abdul Rahman, − Prof. Christopher Kendall, Cairo University, Egypt. University of North Carolina, U.S.A. − Prof. Abdullah Al-Amri, − Prof. Elias Salameh, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. University of Jordan, Jordan. − Prof. Waleed Al-Zubair, − Prof. V. Subramanian, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. − Prof. Ute Austermann-Haun, − Prof. Omar Rimawy, Fachhochschule Lippe und Hoexter, Germany. University of Jordan, Jordan. − Prof. Ibrahim Banat, − Prof. Hakam Mustafa, University of Ulster, UK. Yarmouk University, Jordan. − Prof. Matthias Barjenbruch, − Dr. Michael Crosby, Technisch Universitat Berlin, Germany. The National Science Board, National Science Foundation, Virginia, U.S.A. − Prof. Mohamed Boukhary, Ain Shams University, Egypt. − Dr. Brian Turner, Durham University, U.K.. − Prof. Mohammad El-Sharkawy, Cairo University, Egypt. -- Dr. Friedhelm Krupp, - Prof. Venugopalan Ittekkot. Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Museum, Germany. Germany. -- Dr. Richard Lim, University of Technology, Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • No Security Without Rights
    No security without rights Human rights violations in the Euro-Mediterranean region as consequence of the anti-terrorist legislations Authors Albert Caramés Boada (ed.) and Júlia Fernàndez Molina Editing and translation: Anna Mattioli Aramburu Graphic design: Gerard Casadevall Bach Framework: The report “Without rights there is not security. Human rights violations in the Euro-Mediterranean region as a consequence of anti-terrorist legislations” was possible with the support of: Acknowledgments: Institut de Drets Humans de Catalunya (IDHC), specially to David Bondía, Anna Palacios and Víctor Sakamoto Legal Diposit: This work is under Creative Commons license – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Spain. This report can be copied distributed, published, translated and modified with no commercial purposes and its authorship acknowledged through the following text: CARAMES, A. (ed.); FERNANDEZ, J. (2017); ‘’Without rights there is not security. Human rights violations in the Euro-Mediterranean region as a consequence of anti-terrorist legislations’’. NOVACT NO SECURITY WITHOUT RIGHTS Human rights violations in the Euro-Mediterranean region as consequence of the anti-terrorist legislations INDEX COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS 5 ALGERIA 16 EGYPT 21 FRANCE 29 GREECE 34 IRAQ 38 ISRAEL/PALESTINE 43 ITALY 51 JORDAN 54 LEBANON 58 LIBYA 63 MOROCCO 68 SYRIA 74 SPAIN 80 TUNISIA 86 TURKEY 93 NO SECURITY WITHOUT RIGHTS Human rights violations in the Euro-Mediterranean region as // INTRODUCTION consequence of the anti-terrorist legislations COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Delegitimizing Jews and Israel in Iran's International Holocaust Cartoon Contest Rusi Jaspal, Ph.D. De Montfort University I
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Nottingham Trent Institutional Repository (IRep) Delegitimizing Jews and Israel in Iran’s International Holocaust Cartoon Contest Rusi Jaspal, Ph.D. De Montfort University In 2006, the Iranian government-aligned newspaper Hamshahri sponsored The International Holocaust Cartoon Contest. The stated aim of the contest was to denounce “Western hypocrisy on freedom of speech,” and to challenge “Western hegemony” in relation to Holocaust knowledge. This government-backed initiative was a clear attempt to export the Iranian regime’s anti-Zionist agenda. Using qualitative thematic analysis and Social Representations Theory, this article provides an in-depth qualitative analysis of the cartoons submitted to the contest in order to identify emerging social representations of Jews and Israel. Three superordinate themes are outlined: (i) “Constructing the ‘Evil Jew’ and ‘Brutal Israel’ as a Universal Threat”; (ii) “Denying the Holocaust and Affirming Palestinian Suffering”; (iii) “Constructing International Subservience to ‘Nazi-Zionist’ Ideology”. Although the organizers of the International Holocaust Cartoon Contest claimed that their aims were anti-Zionist, this article elucidates the overtly anti- Semitic character of the contest and its cartoons. It is argued that the cartoons exhibit a distorted, one-sided version of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and of Jewish history, and may therefore shape viewers’ beliefs concerning Jews and Israel in fundamentally negative ways, with negative outcomes for intergroup relations and social harmony. CITING THIS ARTICLE Jaspal, R. (in press). Delegitimizing Jews and Israel in Iran’s International Holocaust Cartoon Contest. Journal of Modern Jewish Studies CORRESPONDENCE Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Recording As Heckling
    Recording as Heckling SCOTT SKINNER-THOMPSON* A growing body of authority recognizes that citizen recording of police of®cers and public space is protected by the First Amendment. But the judicial and scholarly momentum behind the emerging ªright to recordº fails to fully incorporate recording's cost to another im- portant right that also furthers First Amendment principles: the right to privacy. This Article helps ®ll that gap by comprehensively analyzing the First Amendment interests of both the right to record and the right to privacy in public while highlighting the role of technology in altering the First Amendment landscape. Recording information can be critical to future speech and, as a form of confrontation to authority, is also a direct method of expression. Likewise, efforts to maintain privacy while navi- gating public space may create an incubator for thought and future speech, and can also serve as direct, expressive resistance to surveillance regimes. As this Article explains, once the First Amendment values of both the right to record and the right to privacy are systematically understood, existing doctrineÐincluding the concept of the ªheckler's vetoºÐcan help restore balance between these sometimes-competing forms of ªspeech,º permitting citizen recording of police and allowing govern- ment regulation of certain recordings that breach the privacy shields of other citizens. Just as a heckler's suppression of another's free speech justi®es gov- ernment regulation of the heckler's speech, the government may limit the ability to record when recording (a form of speech) infringes on and pierces reasonable efforts to maintain privacy (also a form of expres- sion).
    [Show full text]
  • The Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes of Elites in Jordan Towards Political, Social, and Economic Development
    Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Spring 6-3-2014 The Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes of Elites in Jordan towards Political, Social, and Economic Development Laila Huneidi Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Asian Studies Commons, and the Public Affairs Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Huneidi, Laila, "The Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes of Elites in Jordan towards Political, Social, and Economic Development" (2014). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 2017. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.2016 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. The Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes of Elites in Jordan towards Political, Social, and Economic Development by Laila Huneidi A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs and Policy Dissertation Committee: Masami Nishishiba, Chair Bruce Gilley Birol Yesilada Grant Farr Portland State University 2014 i Abstract This mixed-method study is focused on the values, beliefs, and attitudes of Jordanian elites towards liberalization, democratization and development. The study aims to describe elites’ political culture and centers of influence, as well as Jordan’s viability of achieving higher developmental levels. Survey results are presented. The study argues that the Jordanian regime remains congruent with elites’ political culture and other patterns of authority within the elite strata.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Rights Report 2019 International Human Rights Policy: Activities and Results
    Human rights report 2019 International human rights policy: activities and results Human rights report 2019 | Human rights report 2019 | Human rights report 2019 | Human rights report 2019 | Human rights report 2019 | Human rights report 2019 | AccraVaticaanstadPortOfSpainHoustonPretoriaLaPazIstanboelBoedapestHamburgVancouverDhakaDubaiBangkokAnkaraAlgiersKhartoemDubaiKobeBrusselMexicoSt PetersburgParamariboAnkaraRabatBelgradoRabatAtheneHarareNewYorkAntwerpenBuenosBogotáKairoHarareLagosManaguaQuitoHamburgLagosColomboMexicoBr atislavaLusakaBangkokSarajevoDamascusHoustonBonnAnkaraBrusselDarEsSalaamKobeSofiaKoealaLoempoerWellingtonAlgiersAnkaraAbujaChicagoMuscatDakarSt ockholmKopenhagenCotonouBuenosAiresAddisAbebaLissabonParijsRabatDüsseldorfTokioLuxemburgMontevideoChicagoBagdadPortOfSpainBoekarestLuxemburgDak arHoustonAlmatyDubaiRomeBamakoBelgradoHamburgRomeDarEsSalaamSofiaDubaiColomboRabatAtheneDublinSydneyKobeBogotáPraagOuagadougouAlgiersKin gstonStPetersburgAmmanMilaanMexicoTeheranAbuDhabiFrankfurtAmMainBelgradoTorontoAddisAbebaAnkaraSarajevoPortOfSpainAiresStockholmAmsterdamAbeba TripoliLaPazKairoManaguaBagdadLosAngelesKievAnkaraColomboWarschauRomeBernKingstonLissabonBoedapestBoedapestNewYorkMaputoColomboNewYorkRiyad BamakoTelAvivKingstonMontevideoLaPazPraagDubaiWenenCotonouBerlijnLaPazDüsseldorfKampalaTeheranSeoelMontevideoBrasiliaPretoriaAnkaraBomaySofiaToro ntoRomeZagrebWashingtonAmmanAtheneLaPazMoskouAlgiersAbidjanParamariboMaputoManillaKinshasaBarcelonaCaracasManaguaBarcelonaLusakaAntwerpenSa oPauloBagdadLaPazParijsTorontoBrusselBerlijnPekingMontevideoAbuDhabiTelAvivLondenIstanboelAlmatyBangkokHelsinkiSanJoséParamariboAnkaraSaoPauloPretor
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa
    HARD-WON PROGRESS AND A LONG ROAD AHEAD: WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA by Sanja Kelly As the governments of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) under- take the diffi cult process of enacting social and political change, the unequal status of women presents a particularly formidable challenge. In Iraq, deliberations over women’s legal status have been as contentious as negotiations over how to structure the government. In Jordan, measures to increase penalties for so-called honor crimes faced strong resistance by ultraconservative parliamentarians and ordinary citizens who believe that tradition and religion afford them the right to severely punish and even murder female relatives for behavior they deem immoral. These debates are not just legal and philosophical struggles among elites. They are emo- tionally charged political battles that touch upon fundamental notions of morality and social order. In order to provide a detailed look at the conditions faced by women in the Middle East and understand the complex environment surrounding efforts to improve their status, Freedom House conducted a comprehen- sive study of women’s rights in the region. The fi rst edition of this project was published in 2005. The present edition offers an updated examination of the issue, with a special focus on changes that have occurred over the last fi ve years. Although the study indicates that a substantial defi cit in women’s rights persists in every country in the MENA region, the fi ndings also include notable progress, particularly in terms of economic opportu- nities, educational attainment, and political participation.
    [Show full text]
  • Corruption and Media Freedom in Jordan: Evaluation Report
    Rasheed (Transparency International-Jordan) was established at the end of 2013, as a non-for-profit civil society organization, through a group of activists working in the field of anti-corruption. Rasheed (Transparency International-Jordan) commenced work in Amman at the beginning of April 2014, and it represents the only official contact group of Transparency International in Jordan. Rasheed (Transparency International-Jordan) aims to reinforce the involvement of the Jordanian citizen in anti-corruption activities, protect public, private and local governance institutions against corruption, enhance the efficiency and independence of control agencies specialized in the area of anti-corruption, strengthen the integrity of the legislative and judicial authorities, and reinforce the performance of Rasheed (Transparency International-Jordan) towards achieving its mission and vision. Cover photo Credits: https://www.freeimages.com. You can copy, download or print Rasheed TI-JO content for your own use, and you can include excerpts from Rasheed TI-JO publications, databases and multimedia products in your own documents, presentations, blogs, websites and teaching materials, provided that suitable acknowledgement of Rasheed TI-JO as source and copyright owner is given. Rasheed TI-JO, (2020). Corruption and Media Freedom in Jordan: Evaluation Report. Rasheed TI-JO Research Series: Human Rights. Vol.2. Contents Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]