On the right path regarding rights

His Majesty King Abdullah expressed “pride and satisfaction” with the human rights situation in the country upon receiving, on Sunday, the annual report of the National Centre for Human Rights for 2014 from the centre’s president.

The King also called for the full cooperation of all stakeholders, public and private, in advancing the cause of human rights in the country.

Civil society’s role in promoting and protecting human rights is basic but essential; that is why the King called for public and private institutions to work together for the human rights cause.

There is no doubt that the human rights situation in the Kingdom has improved considerably over the past few years, especially since the reinstatement of parliamentary democracy on the basis of new legislation.

The final arbiter of where Jordan stands in the field of human rights, however, is the UN, with its various human rights bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council and the 10 treaty bodies that assess the human rights situation in all fields periodically and make the necessary recommendations on areas where there is need for more work.

What stands out in most of these periodic recommendations is the issue of gender equality, a field where Jordan still has a lot more to do in order to comply with international standards on this basic human right.

Given the expanding importance of economic, social and cultural rights in the promotion of all human rights, Jordan has more work to do here as well to be up to par.

At the same time, cultural rights of ethnic and religious minorities proved to be among the root causes of the current armed conflicts in the region. No country can afford to ignore these if it wishes to enjoy stability.

All in all, working to secure respect for human rights is a long-term process everywhere.

Jordan is clearly on the right path.