Steering committee of EU-funded programme ‘Support to the Rule of Law’ convenes 5th session

AMMAN — The steering committee of the European Union-funded programme “Support to the Rule of Law in Jordan” (ROL Programme), held its fifth meeting remotely, chaired by the ministries of Justice, and Planning and International Cooperation, to discuss the programme’s direct budget support, achievement of indicators and impact of COVID-19 on its progress. 

The committee also discussed technical assistance and work plan for the next phase, according to a statement made available to The Jordan Times.

In his opening remarks, Secretary General for the Ministry of Justice, Judge Ziad Dmour highlighted the continued cooperation between the EU and the justice sector, emphasising that through coordination efforts, despite facing challenges this year, progress has been achieved.

Emad Shanaa, head of the EU Partnership Department at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, noted that partner institutions and donors have been addressing difficulties and working together to face challenges impacting implementation this year.

Members of the Steering Committee from the Judicial Council, the Judicial Institute of Jordan and the Public Security Directorate also gave speeches outlining the main achievements this year and challenges faced. They also emphasised their commitment to cooperating with the EU and implementing partners.

During the “policy dialogue” session, Corinne Andre, head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Jordan, addressed a number of topics related to justice sector reforms, highlighting many issues related to coordination among stakeholders, community sanctions, and legal aid system, in term of funding, increasing numbers of beneficiaries and quality of services. 

The role of the evaluation and formulation mission in the coming phase was also discussed.     

A briefing on the second and third tranches of the Budget Support was presented by Giorgio Giorgi, programme manager at the EU Delegation in Jordan, followed by a presentation by Naela Qardahji, head of Planning and Institutional Development of the Ministry of Justice on achievements and challenges related to indicators. 

Among the major achievements highlighted during the presentation is the increasing and expanding application of remote trials; an achievement made possible by the advanced technical infrastructure and developing legislative frameworks supported by the EU. Assessing “Justice Sector” and “Criminal Justice” strategies in preparation of next phases is another major achievement, the statement said.  

Additionally, the French Development Agency (AFD) gave a presentation on the overall coordination of the programme through the Programme Coordination Unit, and cross cutting technical assistance. 

It was followed by a briefing by the technical assistance projects: Improve Judicial Governance, Support the Criminal Justice Chain, Strengthen International Cooperation in Legal Matters, and Improve Access to Justice and Legal Empowerment.