Introduction

The issue of Human Rights enjoyed special attention in the Twentieth Century, particularly during its second half. Many specialists exerted remarkable efforts in codifying these Rights drawing on: 1) HR natural foundations of HR (individual and social entities), 2) HR intellectual foundations (religious, philosophic, and political thought), and 3) HR foundations in national and international laws.
Thus, Human Rights are not a subject of concern to a group of individuals specializing in one theoretic or practical discipline, because Human Rights affect every human being by nature of their creation: they know by instincts they have rights.
As mentioned above, the Human Rights issue enjoyed tremendous interest after the Second World War on the national and international levels. This interest was represented in forging and drafting these Rights in constitutions and international conventions, covenants, and declarations; implementing their articles; and monitoring their implementation.
Standing in the forefront of these efforts is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the group of its branching declarations, which are considered major implementation tools adopted by the international community.
The Jordanian government has noted the importance of this issue in activating its economic, social, and cultural development process. It established as a beginning step the Human Rights Directorate at the Prime Ministry. The Directorate was recently upgraded into a Department (effective 1/7/1999), whose director directly reports to the Prime Minister, thus allowing it a margin of executive ability to embark on a number of activities both within and outside the Kingdom. This is an advanced step in the right direction, and should be registered to the credit of the present Government. It represents a recognition and a commitment to human issues; it is compatible with the activities shouldered by the executive authority through the Public Freedoms Committee; and helps promote the activities of the non-governmental sector (organizations and societies) acting in this field.
According to Regulation No.(23) for the year 1999 on organizing and administering the Prime Ministry, the newly created Department is charged with drawing up its mission, its staff job descriptions in implementation of Article (10) of the Regulation.
In order to draw up clear and weighed missions that rise up to the expectations of the leadership and government, there was a need to examine present conditions; previous achievements of the Human Rights Unit at the Prime Ministry; to identify the missions of national societies, organizations, and committees acting in this field with the objective of complementarity, development, and continued building within a comprehensive outlook that seeks to realize the interest of the Homeland and its citizens.

Why a Human Rights Department?

In the years that followed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world, including Jordan, faced domestic and foreign challenges resulting from economic and social developments that prevailed during the fifties of this century. Some of these challenges include: development; increased population; poverty and famine in some countries; refugees and displaced people in others; immigrant workers; issues of women, children and youth; minorities; needy endogenous people; and recently the issues of drugs, violence, terrorism, regional conflicts, nuclear horror, the environment and pollution.
These challenges face the world in general, and each state and government in particular. They require a lengthy stop and a dedication of efforts, a stop dedicated to drawing up strategies, policies, and new projects that deal with human issues in a spirit of reality and commitment, within a national and international system that takes a profound consideration to human beings and their rights, accompanied by a level of comprehensiveness that would allow for curbing the negative impact on human and local communities.
In other words, there are important roles to be played by governmental and non-governmental institutions, in working seriously on finding a solid and concrete basis of cooperation; adopting effective mechanisms that guarantee and safeguard citizens' rights; and implementing international conventions and declarations.
Identifying the effective mechanisms to be adopted by the government, i.e. the Department's functions, required drawing up a draft project that sets within a clear vision, the Department's mission and targeted objectives.
HM King Abdulla's directives in the preamble of his Letter of Designation addressed to HE Rawabdeh on 4/3/1999 included a clear vision of the role of Human Rights in promoting national unity:
"The phase requires drawing up clear schemes and approaches that specify citizens' concerns and needs, and draw up practical and effective solutions to those concerns and needs, and rises up to implement them realistically within the capabilities of the Homeland. Therefore I find there is a need to focus on the following issues:
1- That national unity is one of the fundamental elements that strengthen and fortify the homeland, and prevent infiltration and fragmentation. Jordan has always been a homeland for all Arabs, a role model for a community of a united and closely knit family during good and bad times, where everyone is a partner in working and building, protecting the homeland, and commitment to its interests. Jordanians are all, men and women, regardless of their origins, races, religions, or ideas, are equal before the law, partners in performing their duties and enjoying benefits. Enhancing national unity is achieved by the rule of law over all without discrimination for any reason, by consolidating the democratic approach; the protection of human rights; implementing the principles of justice according to clear and sound criteria; establishing a balance among the regions and areas of the state; and firmly applying the law on anyone and everyone causing discord, or attempting to tamper with the national fabric. The state, with its constitutional powers, is the only representative of the whole people; it is responsible for safeguarding the rights of all of its groups. Duty calls on us to unify all efforts in order for citizens to stand in a single solid rank in building the Homeland, protecting its security and stability, and drawing up its bright future, with the will of God."
The Government has pledged to implement the Royal Directives, stating in the Prime Minister's reply that: "The Government shall do its utmost to implement the royal directives and meet its expectations in consolidating the foundations of the Homeland, and building it in order for each citizen to be proud and happy, in an atmosphere of freedom and democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, protecting human rights, fostering national unity, and unleashing creative and distinguished capabilities, in close cooperation with the legislative authority, the representative of the whole people, in a framework of constructive complementarity, interaction, and continuous harmony. And in cooperation with the judicial authority- a source of our pride- in a framework of safeguarding its full independence, providing it with the maximum degree of care that would guarantee it performing its role in protecting rights and freedoms within the law."
This condition, represented in "directives: commitment", aspired to achieve the objectives of consolidating the foundations of the Homeland and the well- being of its citizens within a well-developed human climate. Achieving these objectives involved tremendous tasks, which in turn created an essential need for responsiveness, preparation, and decisive measures, including the use of modern methodology and technology, and unconventional administrative approaches, an example of which is strategic planning that incorporates the participation of NGOs with a long experience in Human Rights, in order to translate the requirements and aspirations into a reality.

Mission Hierarchy

The Mission of the Department constitutes one part of what it has proposed as a scheme of its function, and reflects the role of a human rights governmental institution. This Mission is summed up in:
1. Adopting clear and immediately applicable tasks for the Human Rights Department within a modern organizational structure of the Prime Ministry.
2. Providing support for the Department in performing its tasks, particularly those related to implementing, and following up the implementation, of international human rights declarations.
3. Transforming the HR Department into an executive arm of the Prime Minister in implementing the Government's program.
4. Supporting and helping national public organizations in drawing up the State's HR policy, and participating in its implementation.
5. Enhancing national unity with the prevalence of the rule of law on all without discrimination, and consolidating the democratic approach and HR protection.
6. Consolidating the foundations of the Homeland, promoting its development and the well- fare of its citizens.
7. Presenting a bright and civilized image on Jordan with the advent of the next century, and promoting its position on the world map.

Outcomes Expected From Achieving the Proposed Scheme's Objectives
The objective of the proposed scheme has already been stated as the transformation of the HR Department into one of the executive arms used by the Prime Minister in implementing the government's HR Program, the following outcomes would achieve this objective:
1. Creating a data base on:
· The Universal Declaration on Human Rights and relevant conventions.
· HR Committees, their missions, members, achievements, etc.
· National public HR societies and organizations.
· Arab HR societies and organizations.
· International HR societies and organizations.
· International reports on the Middle East issued on this field, particularly those related to Jordan, and the responses to their inquiries.
2. Establishing and adopting an effective mechanism for the Department's work, particularly concerning correspondence and inquiries related to individual cases, detentions, arrests, etc.
3. Periodic reports submitted to the Prime Minster covering information on the latest HR developments on the local, Arab, regional, and international levels.
4. Periodic or monthly reports submitted to the Prime Minister on the Department's activities and achievements.
5. Providing information on the conditions of: women, children, youth, the elderly, prisons (reformatories), prisoners, and crimes of honour.
6. Following up, analyzing, and drawing on recommendations of HR conferences, seminars, and other meetings.
7. Holding an annual program on HR awareness raising activities in the three regions of the country: the North, the Center, and the South, with the purpose of spreading awareness in the Kingdom.
8. Providing interesting curricular and extracurricular materials for the various educational stages.
9. The Department is linked with an international HR network in order to exchange expertise and information.
10. A group of specialized committees work with the Department in several fields, including teaching HR.
11. A package of projects implemented by the Department, funded by international bodies and organizations.

Activities and Procedures

In order for the HR Department to draw up its draft action plan, there was a need to rely on several sources to collect information on activities and achievements, and build on them instead of starting from zero point, such sources included:
1. Prime Ministry HR files: to identify transactions and their types. It was evident that most procedures are related to inquiring from official parties, particularly the Ministry of Interior, on political detentions and arrests; the participation in preparing international HR workshops; the participation in drafting Jordanian official responses to international HR organizations reports, including Amnesty International.
2. Identifying national committees, organizations, and societies, and identifying their fields of work with the purpose of cooperation and coordination in joint projects.
3. Identifying legislation tackling HR with the purpose of participating in amending and developing them according to modern age requirements, including:
· The Jordanian Constitution (rights and duties of Jordanians.)
· The National Charter.
· Democracy and Pluralism (Law on Political Parties.)
· The Penal Code, Personal Status Law, and Nationality Law.
· Refugees and Refugee Camps in Jordan (UN resolution No. 194.)
· Prisons Law.
· The Press and Publications Law.
4. Consolidating relations with Arab and international organizations relevant to the Department's field of work:
· The Arab Organization for Human Rights.
· Amnesty International.
· UNHCR.
· UNESCO.
· Human Rights Watch.
· And others.
5. Examination and analysis of international declarations in order to contribute to their implementation in accordance with the stages of developing and updating the building of a modern state, including:
· The Universal Declaration on Human Rights and relevant conventions which Jordan has approved during the fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties.
· The Convention on Prohibiting and Punishing the Crime of Genocide (1950).
· The International Declaration on Eliminating all Forms of Racial Discrimination (1974).
· The International Covenant on the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
· The International Declaration on Curbing and Punishing Racial Segregation Crimes (1974).
· The Declaration on Eliminating all Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
· The Declaration Against Torture and other forms of Cruel or Inhumane Treatment (1991).
· The International Declaration Against Racial Segregation in Sports (1986.)
· The Declaration on the Rights of the Child (1990.)
6. Examining the outcome of a number of meetings and conferences (conclusions and recommendations) and employing them in the package of HR projects.
7. The Department will act on benefiting from the cumulative and intensive expertise of international HR organizations, identifying their successful experiences in establishing and developing similar institutions and departments regarding equipment, training, habilitation, working methodology, and experts, and on designing information and awareness raising campaigns on HR issues.
Finally, the field of HR is broad and vital, it centrally affects, and is affected by the government's work and success. Working in this field dictates many requirements, and calls for the participation of the various official and public sectors. The HR Department in this phase needs all the help and support it can get from all concerned parties in order for this experience to succeed.