For professional conduct

Acting upon instructions from His Majesty King Abdullah, the Royal Court has just adopted a code of conduct for its senior officials, advisers and directors that could serve as a model for government officials.

The code is comprehensive, covering many aspects related to the duties and obligations of the intended employees.

It requires commitment and underpins good governance, integrity, transparency and accountability, including full financial disclosure by the officials themselves and their immediate family members, including information on property ownership.

Membership in company boards, involvement in commercial or financial ventures, confidentiality and conflict of interest are also issues stressed in the code, which stipulates that the position of the officials or information gathered by them during their term in office cannot be used to further their financial interests or of those related in any way to them.

Information obtained in the course of work must be confidential and cannot be used for personal profit or for anybody else’s benefit.

The code provisions stress integrity and ensure the performance of duties honestly, accurately, professionally and impartially.

It requires commitment to full-time performance of duties and that officials “maintain transparency, integrity and fairness when appointing, promoting, training, rewarding, evaluating, transferring or seconding employees, or taking any other measures thereof, based on merit and competitiveness, and without any biases related to family, friendship, or gain and any discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, age, or religion”.

This is just what all government officials, in whatever position, need to follow.

Public-sector employees, and others, would gain accolades if they conducted themselves according to such code, so maybe the government will consider coming up with similar guidelines for its employees.

That would be a sure way to combat abuse of office and other forms of corruption.

Holding officials accountable for their official performance should be the norm, rather than the exception, and set a very good example.

The Royal Court is once again one step ahead of government.