PRESS RELEASE:  FINAL CLUB OF MADRID MISSION TO JORDAN

Club of Madrid Members met with Jordanian Leadership to discuss Freedom of Association, Democratic Dialogue and Reform

Sadig Al Mahdi, former Prime Minister of Sudan, Kjell Magne Bondevik, former Prime Minister of Norway, and Valdis Birkavs, former Prime Minister of Latvia met with the Prime Minister of Jordan, HE Nader Al Thahabi, to discuss Club of Madrid’s work in the region and in Jordan, democratic dialogue, freedom of association and ongoing regional challenges and successes.

Amman, Jordan, December 17, 2008. 

The mission met with HE the Prime Minister of Jordan to discuss recommendations on freedom of association and reform collected during previous Club of Madrid missions. These missions included consultative dialogue processes with both government and civil society stakeholders. Recommendations were consolidated at a plenary session held this past February at the Dead Sea.

The Club of Madrid delegation expressed great appreciation for the meeting with the PM and the fruitful discussions.  The Delegation regcognized that Jordan has achieved significant progress in its democratic process to date. Nevertheless, for this process to continue, legislative reform and implementation must also be

undertaken. In addressing the remaining challenges linked to freedom of association; the NGO and election laws; and strengthening the independence of the judiciary, Jordan has the opportunity to become a regional model for political reform.

The Club of Madrid delegation conveyed its appreciation of the recently expressed position of HM King Abdullah II, in support of freedom of the press and guarantees for freedom of journalists and media. The Prime Minister assured the delegation that Jordan is committed to democratization and political reform and is determined to continue this process. He noted that there is an ongoing dialogue between the government and civil society organization and expressed his support for amendments to the NGO law which would enable automatic registration of NGOs without a formal approval process. He also stressed that such developments must be approved through the constitutional process and parliament. 

The meeting with the PM also addressed issues related to development and approval of the electoral law in parliament and amendments to the public gathering law in a way that ensures citizen’s rights to gather and hold public meetings. The delegation stressed the importance of results-oriented institutionalized dialogue and encouraged the government to continue such processes with political and civil society stakeholders.

Launched in February 2007,  the Club of Madrid’s Strengthening Democratic Dialogue and Freedom of Association Project has aimed to strengthen the basis for dialogue and democratic discourse on freedom of association in six Middle Eastern and North African countries by calling on the leadership experience of the Club of Madrid’s 72 Members, all democratic former Heads of State and Government. Funded by the European Commission and the United Nations Democracy Fund, this project is a regional two-year initiative also working in Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. In Jordan, the Club of Madrid has worked in partnership with the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan.

The Club of Madrid travelled to Jordan three times between April and October 2007, holding dialogue sessions with leaders representing a broad and balanced range of government, media, civil society and political organizations. The Club of Madrid and its Members facilitated these sessions by providing a neutral, credible space for dialogue, involving over a 100 government, political party and civil society participants, and by helping participants identify key challenges and recommendations in a variety of areas linked to strengthening freedom of association. In partnership with the Club of Madrid, a FRIDE researcher accompanied each of these missions as well as conducted independent research and interviews, with the aim of providing a more comprehensive analysis to compliment and inform the Club of Madrid led Missions, recommendations and findings, included below. FRIDE seeks to provide fresh and innovative thinking on Europe’s role on the international stage. As a prominent European think tank, FRIDE benefits from political independence, diversity of views and the intellectual background of its international staff.

1.         As political choices for citizens begins with basic rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression through various means of communication, such as the media, it is necessary to have adequate legislation to guarantee these freedoms, effectively contributing to a professional and independent media that advances democratic participation and respects the plurality of opinions.

2.         The need to consider the introduction of new legislation regulating the right to establish independent civil society organisations, which would lead to enhance its role in political, economic and social development.  This is predicated on the belief that that reform is a process involving both government and civil society, which requires abiding by both the constitution and international standards, without restricting the right to associate.

3.         The need to preserve the independence and consistency of the judiciary as a fundamental guarantor of rights and liberty, upholding the unconditional right to due process.  It is also necessary to replace overly-restrictive existing laws and to disband the special courts, together with the restructuring of the administrative courts, in order to achieve this aim.

4.         Reconsider the electoral law in order to achieve a more balanced representation and justice for all of society, which does not discriminate between different political forces within Jordan, and to create an independent monitoring commission empowered by law with all the required administrative and financial resources ;

5.         Promotion of a vibrant and representative civil society culture in every way, in order to increase public awareness of democratic concepts and values, avoid political polarization, and promote a non-tribal and non-sectarian orientation, establishing dialogue as the fundamental means for the expression and promotion of the existing democratic framework and the rights of the citizen;

6.         The commitment of all national parties, governmental and non-governmental, to the principles and rules stated by national initiatives such as the National Charter and the National Agenda, in order to advance a state based on the rule of law, representative institutions and democracy.