A/HRC/11/37
682. The International Federation of Human Rights Leagues regretted the fact that the
Government of Jordan had refused the most substantive recommendations, in particular the
official investigation on all allegations of torture and the withdrawal of reservations to the
Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to ratify the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the
Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and the Optional Protocol to the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It welcomed the decision of Jordan to
withdraw its reservation to article 15 (4) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women, but regretted that Jordan refused to lift its reservation to
articles 9 (2) and 16 of the Convention. It expressed its hope that Jordan would finally
provide positive responses to several recommendations concerning honour crimes and the
necessary review of the legislation applicable to terrorism. It also regretted the fact that
Jordan had rejected the recommendations calling for a revision of the Association Law.
683. The Charitable Institute for Protecting Social Victims underlined the negative
approach taken towards children’s rights; the continued negligence of the basic rights of
orphaned children; the rise in child labour; the rise in the number of women without heads
of household and the spread of prostitution among these women; and the daily rise in the
number of torture cases in detention centres and prisons. It also noted the rise in the number
of complaints against human rights violations, the lack of proper investigation and
processing of complaints and the violation of prisoner and detainee rights.
684. The Al-Hakim Foundation welcomed Jordan’s acceptance of the recommendations
stemming from its review and its efforts to ensure the necessary conditions for the work of
human rights institutions. It expressed its appreciation to Jordan for having hosted
thousands of Iraqi refugees and for its continued support and assistance to them, while
calling for greater efforts in the fields of health and education. It commended Jordan for its
role in peacekeeping operations and in the fight against terrorism. It mentioned the need to
improve the situation of migrant workers and to protect their human rights, and called for
the adoption of laws in this regard.
685. The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies commended Jordan for its decision to
lift its reservation to article 15 (4) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women. It was concerned about the situation of women, domestic
violence and the prevalence of honour crimes, and urged Jordan to consider amending its
penal code to ensure that perpetrators of honour crimes would be brought to justice, and to
consider withdrawing its remaining reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and ratifying the Optional Protocol thereto. It
asked Jordan to review its nationality law to allow Jordanian mothers married to nonJordanians to pass on their nationality to their children and to lift all its reservations to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also asked Jordan to revise its recent law on
societies and to accede to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights. It welcomed Jordan’s commitment to respond to the request for a visit by
the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, and requested that Jordan consider
ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and set up an independent
national mechanism for oversight in places of detention.
4.
Concluding remarks of the State under review
686. Jordan believed that the review had offered a comprehensive and objective
assessment of the human rights situation in the country. Despite the wide range of
challenges at the national and regional levels, the Government was determined to follow up
the recommendations effectively and to report on their implementation.
162
GE.09-16766
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