Jordan Times
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Muasher addresses Forum of the Future in New York
AMMAN (JT) The Kingdom's reform process aims to turn the Kingdom into a moderate, tolerant and open society based on the humanistic values of Islam, Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher said on Friday.
Delivering an address at the Ministerial
Preparatory meeting for the Broader Middle East and North Africa Forum of the
Future in New York, Muasher said to achieve that goal key strategic objectives
have been identified for the coming five years.
The minister told the gathering that the Kingdom has established a Ministry for
Political Development and a ministerial committee for political reform to
develop and establish a mechanism to implement the reform process.
In the media sector, Muasher continued, the Ministry of Information was
abolished in 2003 and several laws have been enacted to restructure state media
organisations and disengage the state from direct control of these outlets.
He added that laws have been enacted to allow private TV and radio stations to
operate in the Kingdom, noting that four such licences have already been given.
A new political parties law will be developed to regulate and encourage
political party development in Jordan, Muasher said, adding that the new law
will encourage existing parties to develop political and economic platforms.
In addition, a new election law will be developed prior to the next elections
due in 2007. A national dialogue involving all sectors of society will precede
this process, he said in his speech, made available to The Jordan Times by the
Jordan Information Bureau in Washington.
Muasher also said that a new centre for human rights was established last year
to act as an ombudsman for human rights violations in the Kingdom, and to ensure
that Jordan is signatory to all human rights covenants and agreements.
The minister added that His Majesty King Abdullah has taken steps to increase
women's participation in public life, highlighting the fact that the present
Cabinet has three women out of a total of 21 members, a first in the Kingdom's
history.
A quota of six seats has been allocated for women in the election law for the
Lower House of Parliament, in addition to any other seats women can win on their
own. His Majesty also appointed seven women to the Senate out of a total of 55
members as well, he said.
Muasher also told the meeting that work on reviewing all laws discriminatory
against women and children was ongoing, with the aim of amending them in a
manner that does not contradict with Sharia, or Islamic law.
On another front, an ambitious five-year educational reform plan has been
completed, said the minister, who added that the plan includes four initiatives
focusing on life-long learning, responsiveness to the economy, access to
information and communications technology, and quality learning where the
teacher in class becomes a facilitator and teaching becomes learning.
Muasher stressed the necessity for the international community to re-engage in
finding a comprehensive settlement for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as well
as the conflict in Iraq, which is imperative for regional stability and
development.
The foreign minister also reaffirmed the importance of providing funding for
public investments that is highly needed in the region in order to address the
basic needs of the people and provide the necessary environment for private
sector investments to thrive in. Therefore, supporting public investments is a
cornerstone of joint cooperation between the G-8 countries and the Arab world.
Muasher also proposed holding the 2005 Forum for the Future alongside the World
Economic Forum at the Dead Sea in May of next year.