Jordan Times
Thursday, December 9, 2004
Queen highlights importance of
commitment to human rights
Family Protection Department services reach four more governorates
AMMAN (JT) — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Wednesday underlined the need to
safeguard the security and wellbeing of the family, underlining that any
violation of the dignity of its members would be a breach of basic human rights.
The Queen's comments came during a visit to the Family Protection Department (FPD)
in Wadi Al Seer, where she met Public Security Department (PSD) Director Major
General Mohammad Majed Eitan, Assistant to PSD Director for Criminal
Investigation Major General Bashir Majali and Head of the FPD Colonel Fadel
Hmoud.
During the meeting, Queen Rania underlined the need to institutionalise services
provided to citizens, while facilitating accessibility and procedures. She also
noted the importance of having qualified staff, know-how and continued training
to be able to continue to raise the level of existing services.
As Jordan and the world prepare to mark Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, Queen Rania
met with FPD staff, highlighting the importance of national commitment to human
rights and underlining that public awareness and inter-agency cooperation are
key to safeguarding family rights and empowering its members, which would enable
them to become active citizens in all sectors of society.
Hmoud and FPD staff briefed the Queen on the department's efforts and work,
which encompasses a wide range of specialised consultants to deal with all kinds
of cases.
Hmoud noted that the number of reported cases had risen from 631 in 2000 to
1,330 last month, mainly due to more cases being reported after the opening of
such centres in four governorates — Irbid, Salt, Zarqa and Aqaba.
Queen Rania — who in a speech last year had said “the right to human dignity is
non-negotiable” — is an advocate of human rights, and is honorary chairperson of
the Royal Commission for Human Rights which resulted in the establishment of the
National Centre for Human Rights that seeks to foster greater awareness and
understanding of human rights to an elevated level that would affect policy
making in accordance with international standards.
In her capacity as president of the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA),
Queen Rania has been outspoken on the need to develop effective policies to
ensure family protection and unity, and has worked hard to identify and
implement mechanisms for increased coordination between public institutions and
civil society organisations working in family affairs.
Jordan's Family Protection Project Management Team (PMT) was chosen as
recipients of the 2003 UN Prize for Human Rights as part of the UN General
Assembly's commemoration of Human Rights Day, for having “helped lift the taboo
on the subject of domestic violence and promote open debate on issues of human
rights, equity and gender.”
PMT representatives from participating institutions presented the award to Queen
Rania for her leading and inspiring role in preventing domestic violence and
abuse in Jordan.
The project, which became a model for addressing domestic violence issues in the
region and gained remarkable international respect, was commended by the Queen
who said choosing PMT was a recognition and great honour for the country and a
renewed impetus for further progress. She underlined that “lifting the taboo on
issues related to domestic violence and its damaging consequences on society is
vitally important as we strive to safeguard the rights and dignity of our most
vulnerable citizens.”
The Family Protection Project, spearheaded by a local team of representatives
from all the concerning stakeholder institutions in the Kingdom, is a
groundbreaking Jordanian initiative that combats the universal problem of those
caught in domestic violence and provides protection for them.
Since its inception four years ago, Queen Rania has been the project's key
supporter and advocate, leading it to success, with representatives of the PSD,
officials from the ministries of awqaf and Islamic affairs, education, justice,
the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) and NCFA working with decision makers and
experts to provide specialised preventative, therapeutic and rehabilitative
services and support to abused women and children.
Highlighting the national agenda focusing on empowering all members of society,
the NCFA this year marked the 10th International Year of the Family as it works
with other partners on improving the quality of life of all Jordanian families
by ensuring the right policy environment to support the development of family
protection and unity, and to identify and implement mechanisms for increased
coordination between public institutions and civil society organisations working
in the field of family affairs.
Last year, Queen Rania marked Human Rights Day with 1.4 million students in the
Kingdom's schools, joining students at Al Kamalieh Girls' High School in Sweileh
to read and discuss the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The declaration was adopted by a UN General Assembly resolution on Dec. 10, 1948
and commemorated as Human Rights Day starting in 1950.