By Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN - A project to strengthen the professional capacity of law enforcement institutions to prevent torture and ill-treatment and respond appropriately and effectively when such acts occur, was launched on Sunday.
To be implemented in cooperation with Denmark, the project is designed to strengthen the capacity of core institutions within the criminal justice sector with the ultimate goal of improving the treatment and conditions of detainees, Danish Ambassador in Amman Thomas Fouad Lund-Sørensen said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times yesterday.
The two-year project, which is dubbed "Karama" and fully funded by the Danish government, seeks to ensure that torture and ill-treatment are documented, prosecuted and redressed in accordance with international legal standards.
It also aims at institutionalising and enhancing cooperation between the state and civil society and strengthening the Kingdom’s legislation so as to enhance the prevention of torture and ill-treatment, and the criminalisation of torture, the statement indicated.
"It is very positive that such a project can take place in Jordan. It shows once again that it is possible to tackle issues that often are considered taboo,” the ambassador said in his statement, adding that his country looks forward to working with relevant Jordanian authorities and civil society organisations.
“Our common goal must be to implement and respect human rights standards and in the end, eradicate torture and prevent ill-treatment from taking place," he added.
A major part of the Karama project is focused on dialogue between Denmark and Jordan as partners.
"With dialogue we can learn from the best practices of one another. Dialogue on central issues of mutual interest is the way forward in our cooperation and common future," the diplomat noted.
He said the launch of the project is proof that Jordan has realised the importance of eradicating torture.
The project was launched yesterday at a seminar on "Incorporating Human Rights into the Criminal Justice Sector - Experiences and Challenges of Jordan and Denmark", the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Several working papers were presented at the seminar, organised by the Public Security Department (PSD) and the Danish foreign ministry, on topics related to international standards for human rights, the news agency indicated.
During the event, PSD Assistant Director for Judicial Police Brigadier General Khalid Seidat said the department is exerting its utmost efforts to implement an ambitious plan to develop procedures and instructions related to correction and rehabilitation centres, Petra reported.
The plan entails restructuring centres and supplying them with qualified and well-trained human resources to deal with the inmates, take care of them and rehabilitate them, Petra quoted him as saying.
In his address at the event, Lund-Sørensen said the Kingdom has taken important steps to uphold human rights.
He noted that Jordan is party to most major international human rights conventions; it was among the first nations to have a seat on the UN Human Rights Council and it has opened its doors to external scrutiny by UN bodies, NGOs as well as internal assessment.
"At the national level, Jordan is also undertaking criminal justice sector reform. The ongoing reform has so far led to changes in the laws and increased institutional capacity, particularly within the PSD and the correctional and rehabilitation centres,” he said.
“His Majesty King Abdullah has also made this a national priority," the ambassador added.
