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AMMAN — Jordan has ranked 2nd country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and 42nd worldwide in the 2017-2018 Rule of Law Index recently issued by the World Justice Project (WJP), which assesses the adherence to the rule of law of a total of 113 countries around the world based on over 110,000 households and 3,000 expert surveys. 

The performance of each country was measured using 44 indicators across eight primary factors, including constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice.

The Kingdom was grouped among those countries showing improvements in their adherence to the rule of law, and performed the best in the criminal justice category standing at the 27th position worldwide, followed by regulatory enforcement (31st) and absence of corruption (32nd). 

However, Jordan´s median score was lowered by the country’s performance on the open government and fundamental
rights categories, where the Kingdom ranked 79th and 76th respectively.  

Linda Al Kalash, director of the Tamkeen Centre for Legal Aid and Human Rights, told The Jordan Times that “it is true that Jordan is improving its performance in the rule of law”. However, the expert called for more attention to migrant workers in the domestic and the agricultural field by ensuring them fair trial in case they are prosecuted for any reason. 

For his part, human rights researcher Sulaiman Sweis agreed that Jordan is not a police state, but more work is still required to render it a full fledged civil state, where there is complete harmony between the constitutional provisions, the laws based on them and the practice of the law in everyday life. 

At a regional level, the UAE was the top performer across the MENA region standing at the 32nd worldwide position, while Jordan was closely followed by Tunisia (54th), Morocco (67th) and Iran (80th).

However, both Morocco and the UAE showed statistically significant decreases in their scores due to their performance in absence of corruption, while Iran climbed six positions as compared to the prior ranking.

Regarding the global picture, the great majority of countries worldwide saw their scores decline since the publication of the last Rule of Law Index in October 2016 in the areas of human rights, checks on government powers, and civil and criminal justice.

“Effective rule of law is the foundation for communities of equity, opportunity and peace, but no country has achieved a perfect realisation of the rule of law,” WJP founder and CEO William Neukom said, noting that “the Rule of Law Index is intended to be a first step in setting benchmarks, informing reforms, stimulating programmes, and deepening appreciation and understanding for the foundational importance of the rule of law”.

AMMAN — Several memoranda of understanding (MoU) are expected to be signed between Sri Lanka and Jordan this year to boost ties in various areas including business and security, Sri Lankan Ambassador Abdul Latiff Lafeer said on Saturday.

Sri Lanka and Jordan, which established diplomatic ties in 1965, are scheduled to sign several MoUs including one between the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and another one on transfer of prisoners, the ambassador said in an interview with The Jordan Times on the occasion of the Sri Lankan national day, marked by the embassy on Sunday. 

"The deals that are in the pipeline this year will seek to further boost ties in various areas and will build on successes achieved in 2017 and previous years," the ambassador added.

Another agreement will be signed between the two countries in the field of customs, he continued, noting that the two sides will also sign MoUs in the field of culture, tourism and archaeology and defence, among other areas. 

According to the ambassador, 2017 witnessed major developments in the history of ties between the two countries as the number of Sri Lankan investments in the Kingdom increased, Jordanian investments in Sri Lanka started and there was an increase in numbers of tourists and trade exchange.

Sri Lanka's investments in Jordan rose from around $30 million to $40 million in 2017 as new garment factories opened in Jordan with the aim of benefiting from the free trade agreements signed with Jordan and accessing markets in the region, the Sri Lankan diplomat said.

In 2017, trade exchange reached around $45 million, witnessing a slight increase compared to 2016, he continued.

On tourism, some 7,000 Jordanians visited Sri Lanka last year, increasing by around 10 per cent compared to the previous year.

According to the ambassador, a delegation of Hajj and Umra tour operators from Sri Lanka are currently on a visit to the Kingdom to explore cooperation opportunities with their counterparts, which will help increase the number of Sri Lankans coming to Jordan and increase the time they spend in Jordan while en route to perform Hajj and umra.

"In 2017, there was intensive cooperation between Jordan and Sri Lanka, especially in the field of tourism and business and we call for more cooperation and increased exchanges as the potential remains huge," Latiff Lafeer said.

According to the ambassador, Jordanian investments in the field of services and intellectual property in Sri Lanka have started.

"Our message to the Jordanian businesspeople is that there are many opportunities to be tapped in Sri Lanka," he said, adding that a delegation of Jordanian businesspeople is expected to visit Sri Lanka in the first half of this year to explore cooperation in various areas.

"As we celebrate our national day on Sunday, we stress our keenness on continued cooperation with Jordan and determination to facilitate all investments and businesses and boost relations in all arenas," said the Sri Lankan diplomat. 

The ambassador noted that ChannaUpuli Dance Troupe will perform during the national day celebration on Sunday.

AMMAN — A group of young people are uniting their efforts by collecting donated books to compensate one of the oldest book kiosk in Amman after a fire last week destroyed books and ancient transcripts.

On Tuesday night, fire broke out at Al Jahez Closet storage in downtown Amman, destroying over 10,000 books and ancient documents, its owner Hisham Maaytah said.

“I left a heat stove lit in the storage to keep the place warm for some stray cats that I care for in the storage area. 

I left for a minute to cater to some customers who were standing next to my kiosk and I heard people calling my name and warning me that a fire had started in the storage room,” Maaytah told The Jordan Times.

Mohammed Faouri launched a campaign with another man via his Facebook page urging people to “donate books or support the book kiosk’s owner by buying books from him to compensate for his loss”.

“We love this kiosk because its owner lends people books for JD1 to encourage reading, so we decided to launch a simple initiative to help him with his noble mission,” Faouri told The Jordan Times.

Faouri added that a restaurant in Shmeisani was designated “whereby people can drop books or simply just head to the kiosk in downtown Amman to give him the books or buy from him”.

“We received dozens of calls from people in Jordan and abroad wanting to donate cash but of course we refused and stressed that we only accept books,” Faouri stated.

Another big moral support to Maaytah came from His Majesty King Abdullah, it was reported on Thursday. 

“When the King heard about the tragedy, I was contacted and offered some compensation to make my book kiosk stronger and richer than before,” Maaytah said.

He added he was very grateful for the “King’s generosity and people who voiced support, but he was sad for the loss of invaluable and precious historical books and documents that were collected over the years by him, his father and grandfather”.

“I am really thankful to the King and all the people who are helping me but I am sad that I lost books and transcripts that dates back to 200 years or more.  Such a loss means a lot to me because these were collectable items gathered by my family since the 1940s,” Maayatah added.

Dozens of people expressed their sadness over what they described was the “loss of invaluable and collectable books”.

“This is a catastrophe to anyone who see books as a form of life,” wrote Samah Omoush on Facebook.

Awni Okeily said on Facebook: “This is a grave loss to anyone who really carries great value for books.”

AMMAN — The creations of 27 Palestinian craftswomen from Jerash camp will be featured in the Universal Pictures’ film “Mary Magdalene”, an international production featuring world famous Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix.

“We are so honoured to see the work of these 27 SEP artists being featured in this movie, which is a rendition of a story that took place in the land where their own ancestors lived,” said Roberta Ventura, founder of SEP Jordan, an organisation that empowers Palestinian refugee women through the creation of hand-embroidered accessories. 

Started in 2013 with 10 women under the motto “Every Stitch Tells a Story”, SEP Jordan has grown to help some 300 women regain a sustainable income and improve their and their families’ living conditions.

“Dependence on aid makes refugees vulnerable to certain extremist groups. Through my work with educational projects, I realised the danger of education without employment opportunity,” Ventura told The Jordan Times, stressing the importance of empowering women to be in charge of the entire process.

For Asma Aradeh, SEP quality control manager at Jerash camp, working with SEP has been a chance to “constantly improve” and develop new skills.”At the beginning of this journey, we did not pay much attention to detail. We were satisfied if our work looked pretty and that was all. But, with SEP, we learned perfection in our products. Now, we want each product to be perfect in terms of embroidery, cleanliness, and measurements,” she said.

This thorough attention to details greatly contributed to the success of these products, which are currently sold in retails stores all across the globe. 

“It was an incredibly rewarding experience working with the team of artists at SEP – their talent far surpassed my expectations… the result of each woman’s unique creativity and skill had an incredible subtlety and beauty,” said Jacqueline Durran, costume designer in the Mary Magdalena movie.

Durran, who is an Academy Award Winner designer, added: “The work had a quality that we couldn’t have found anywhere else, and it became a key part of our creation of the ancient world of the film.”

“We are looking to disrupt the ‘pity purchase’,” Ventura said, stressing that “all SEP artists are trained at the SEP-Tamari Academy established at the camp, where they learn the technique details, which date back to the 1800’s, the golden years of Palestinian embroidery. The result is a premium-product, which restores pride, emotional and economic independence”.

For Ventura, the beauty of the products lies in their uniqueness: “Each of the artists can express their personality in the creative process, they design their own patterns and are free to create anything from their inspiration, which gives unique products, each different from the others.”

“SEP has not only created a source of income for us; it has also allowed us to develop our hobbies. It has helped us to bring out all the creativity we have within us. I am proud to be sharing our embroidery, our heritage and our tradition. Through our Palestinian heritage, we show the world what a strong and resilient people we are,” said Asma Nmeilat, finishing officer at SEP.

Ventura recalled how one of the women told her a year ago: “Do you realise that when I embroider, I pour all my emotions into the work?”

“This made me realise that each SEP creation is like a message in a bottle, a link between the artist and the rest of the world. We are creating powerful ‘emotional networks’ between the artists and our customers,” Ventura explained, noting that “although part of our management team is Italian, all producers are refugees in the Middle East, making the brand very cross-culturally aware”.

SEP Jordan, which has been featured in magazines such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, ELLE, Architectural Digest as well as newspapers including The Times, The Telegraph and The Guardian, is partnering with a number of outlets around the globe, spreading the story of each of these women.

The inclusion of SEP Jordan products in the international production “Mary Magdalene”, which will be released on March 16, is an “emotionally charged” testimony to the work of these 27 artists, according to Nawal Aradeh and Dua’h Siam, who directed the women for this collaboration.

“SEP celebrates the artists’ Palestinian heritage, as well as the central role of women within their family and community. Being featured in this film further reflects how SEP artists have become change makers in their communities,” Ventura concluded.

AMMAN — Agriculture Minister Khaled Hneifat and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Esref Fakıbaba on Saturday discussed Turkey’s participation in the Jordanian agricultural forum scheduled to be held in the Kingdom on April 25.

During the meeting, held on the sidelines of the Turkish agricultural forum in Izmir, Hneifat called on Turkish investors to benefit from advantages available in the Kingdom, especially in agricultural manufacturing, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Both sides agreed to organise a visit by Turkish businesspeople to the Kingdom to proceed with practical steps in marketing Jordanian fruits and vegetables.

AMMAN — Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI), in cooperation with local industry chambers and Jordan Investment Commission, is organising a Jordanian-European business forum in Frankfurt, Germany, next Tuesday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.

The forum will include meetings between Jordanian exporters and European importers. According to a JCI press statement, the two-day forum will be organised in light of the agreement between Jordan and the EU to implement simplified rules of origin for Jordanian exports to the EU countries, which came into effect in July 2016.

The forum aims to promote Jordanian products in the European markets and provide an opportunity for Jordanian companies to meet with importers from various European countries.

AMMAN —Tourism Minister Lina Annab on Friday announced the start of 14 direct flight routes from Europe to Jordan as of Sunday.  

During a session at the Jordan 2018 Agenda conference, Annab said that these routes, to be operated for competitive prices, will be directed to Amman and Aqaba to further push growth rates at the tourism sector, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

In another session, titled “A plan to stimulate growth, and economic challenges”, the minister said that the number of tourists in 2017 increased by 10 per cent and tourism income by 13 per cent, adding that the ministry’s focus in 2018 will be on sustaining the growth rates achieved last year. 

The sector contributes to 10-14 per cent of the GDP, Annab said, citing statistics. 

She stressed that the sector recruits large numbers of local workers, which accounts for 90 per cent at hotels and 30 per cent at restaurants. 

According to the minister, Jordan has 100,000 archaeological “known” sites, of which 30,000 are registered, stressing that there is an opportunity to further encourage tourists to come and visit if more sites are developed as new destinations. 

Tourism revenues in 2017 increased by 12.5 per cent $4.6 billion compared with $4.1 billion in 2016, according to official figures. 

The increase was mainly due to the rise in the total number of tourists in 2017.

AMMAN — Work in water treatment plants is now classified as a “hazardous” profession by Social Security Corporation (SSC), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.

SSC Spokesperson Musa Sbeihi said that workers in this field are usually exposed to chemicals emitted by materials used to purify water or dealing with liquid waste, in addition to being at closed work places with high levels of noise and moisture.

In SSC’s standards, the term “hazardous jobs” is applied to jobs that harm the health or life of workers as a result of being subject to dangerous conditions despite the application of safety, health and vocational requirements, Petra said.

AMMAN — The Housing Bank for Trade and Finance (HBTF) on Saturday signed a JD100 million-loan agreement with the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Expressing thanks to the bank, NEPCO said the loan aims to fund its needs and operations.

AMMAN — Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission (IACC) General prosecutor has issued gag order banning publishing of news about the National Bank for Financing Small Projects (NBFSP) “to protect the secrecy of ongoing investigations”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Friday.

The IACC has referred an NBFSP case to the prosecution earlier last year.