Jordan Advances in Establishing an Integrity Charter

Jordan - Saturday, November 16, 2013

On November 16, 2013 the Royal Committee for Enhancing the National Integrity System in Jordan issued the National Integrity charter’s first draft and its operational plan and this was done in only less than a year after his Majesty King Abdullah II formation of the Royal committee comprising elite politicians and experts, and presided by Prime Minister Dr. Abdullah AL-NASSOUR. In the Royal letter, His Majesty considers that "the consecration of the Supreme principles, which the Nation strived to enshrine such as justice, equality and the rule of law, in addition as anti-corruption, transparency and accountability, and which are the fundamental pillars of good governance in Jordan, is the base and the fixed point of departure for our journey of reform that will not reach the desired extent, only through building a genuine, balanced and effective partnership among all the institutions of the integrity system with the view to frame a constructive cooperation based on a clear vision and objective grounds." The Charter is based on a comprehensive review of existing legislations and studies of the current status of existing regulatory entities. It also makes recommendations that define the pillars of integrity in the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, as well as in the private sector, political parties, non-governmental bodies, civil society organizations and the media. The Charter is characterized by its operational plan that includes specific projects, explicit time frames for their application and a designation of the responsible parties. It is also important to note that the Royal Committee stressed on the need to "consider the present Charter and its operational plan as a methodology applicable to all ministries and all authorities and departments in the state should adhere to”. The initial version also includes the royal letter of 8 December 2012 that paved the way for the creation of the mentioned Committee, in addition to a comprehensive report on the work of the Commission stating its composition, functions, approaches and detailed information on previous meetings held with various stakeholders. And it is expected that the final version will be adopted on 30 November in conference organized under the patronage of his Majesty King Abdullah II. This initiative comes in the broader context of Jordan’s efforts in promoting integrity and combating corruption, efforts supported by several official entities mainly the Anti-Corruption Commission and other non-state actors. Since its formation in 2006, the Anti-Corruption Commission has developed a national anti-corruption strategy for the period of 2008-2012 and then the commission developed it in the framework of a second copy for the period of 2014-2017. It has also carried out many activities in the framework of strengthening the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. And it is to be noted that the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Ministry of Justice are members of the Arab Anti-Corruption and Integrity Network which is the leading participatory mechanism for capacity development, information exchange and policy dialogue against corruption. For the initial version of the document, please visit the Prime Ministry:
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