Ammon News - Lawyers Without Borders concluded the activities of the "Enhancing Human Rights and Civil Space in Jordan" project, which is co-funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and the European Union (EU), within the framework of the Qararuna project-EUJDID. The project aimed at enhancing the state of human rights and civic space in Jordan during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic, mainly, to strengthen the contribution of civil society institutions to policy-making, and protection of human rights and civic space in Jordan.

Under the patronage of the Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, H.E. Musa Al-Maaytah, and in the presence of the Ambassador of the European Union in Jordan, H.E. Maria Hadjitheodosiou and the General Coordinator of the Spanish Cooperation H.E. Santiago Morán Medina, the closing event took place on 26 August 2021.

One of the Project’s key milestones is the establishment of the Civic Space and Human Rights Observatory, with the collaboration of a coalition of 23 local community-based organisations (CBOs) from all governorates. The observatory issued three national monitoring reports evaluating the reality of the rights to form non-governmental associations, freedom of expression, public participation, and peaceful assembly. Five advocacy campaigns were supported by the project and led by local CBOs, to inform public policy-makers of key recommendations of the monitoring reports. The Project also focused on developing the capacities of CBOs on concepts of human rights, open civic space, campaign management, coalition-building, and internal governance.

EU Ambassador H.E. Maria Hadjitheodosiou welcomed the development of the Civil Space and Human Rights Observatory and the reports it has produced, and highlighted the importance of civil society as “a key player in creating the conditions for the full realisation of human rights and the respect of fundamental values. And I am happy that supporting and strengthening the civic space in the country can now contribute to enhancing the dialogue between stakeholders, NGOs, and CBOs, that can have more active participation in the democratic processes.”

General Coordinator of the Spanish Cooperation H.E. Santiago Morán Medina, commended on Lawyers without Borders for the fruitful partnership “We are happy with the achieved outcomes of the Civic Space Human Rights Observatory, which succeeded through its monitoring reports to raise the profile of key civic space freedoms such as freedom of association, assembly and expression. This Project of Qararuna is a reflection of the centrality of civil society organisations in the Spanish Cooperation”.

Mr. Moath Al Momani, Legal Advisor to Lawyers Without Borders, pointed out that this project contributed to building the capacities of civil society institutions, and through this project three qualitative reports were issued on civic space and human rights. He stressed that Lawyers Without Borders will continue to issue periodic monitoring reports on civic space and human rights in Jordan, to further consolidate its national responsibility, as a local civil society organization.

During the closing ceremony, Lawyers Without Borders facilitated a panel-discussion on the results of the 3 monitoring reports with the participation of Mr. Taha Maghariz, Secretary General of the Associations Register at the Ministry of Social Development, Mr. Nazir Awamleh, Coordinator Governmental Human Rights in the prime minister and MP. Mrs. Tammam Al-Riyati. The discussions focused on the importance of such monitoring reports and the extent of their impact and contribution to enhancing the human rights situation and opening the civic space in Jordan.

Through this project, Lawyers Without Borders managed to lobby Jordanian decision-makers, and capture their attention on key findings and recommendations of the Observatory’s monitoring reports, mainly on the rights to assembly and association, laying foundations for a collaborative relationship between CSOs and government institutions.

*European External Action Service