The Government has implemented its commitments under The Fourth National Action Plan for the Open Government Partnership Initiative to be part of this approach and to seek the most important national priorities pursued by the Government. These commitments were among the most advanced and reformed plans set by Jordan under the Initiative.

National Priorities Addressed by the 4th NAP

Jordan’s Fourth National Action Plan was systematically developed to address the reform priorities stated in the government’s ministerial statement, which should meet citizens› needs at all levels.

First: Enhancing partnership and dialogue between the public sector and Civil Society

Civil Society in Jordan has witnessed remarkable development during the past 10 years, as its organizations became a key partner in the reform process pursued by state’s actors. The tasks of Civil Society’s Organizations overlap with many tasks of public sector’s institutions, and thus, the Government has recognized the importance of civil society organizations as partners in democratization, political, social and economic reform and in responding to national challenges, particularly those organizations with deep expertise and effective communication tools with local communities. These organizations can play an important role in assisting the Government in setting policies and enacting laws, raising awareness of their programs, and delivering the voices and demands of local communities to decision makers, thereby enhancing their response to these communities, therefore, the Government considers developing the partnership relationship with these organizations and facilitating their work as a national priority. It also believes that the governance of this sector is also an important priority to ensure efficiency, transparency and professionalism in its work, and thus, deepening the developmental impact it has on the communities with which it works.

Second: Development and enhancement of the application of Government Open Data Policy

The rapid acceleration of the information technology sector requires the government to keep up with its requirements through the application of legislations and programs that are compatible with both international best practices and the local context in Jordan. The Government has pledged to continue with the e-government program which was initiated several years ago. The Government, therefore, considers working on its Open Data platform as a national priority that contributes to supporting all aspects of the development process.

Third: Fostering national dialogue to achieve political reform

The Government pays great attention to political reform. It seeks to reconsider the legislations regulating political life. The Government also fosters the role of political parties, and supports both Governorates and Municipal Councils to enable them to carry out their duties. The agendas of the Government seek to establish dialogue as an essential tool in the decision-making process and to promote the integration of all sectors, including youth, women, elected council members, community representatives and university students. The program also seeks to increase participation in the decision-making process between citizens and government officials. The government also focuses on the aspirations of the Jordanians and the Letter of Designation of His Majesty King Abdullah II through which the King called on the government to proceed with political reform and build on what has been achieved in previous years, and to reconsider the legislations regulating political life Continual, what in turns strengthens the role of political parties and enables them to take a part at the House of Representatives and to support the Governorates and Municipal Councils to carry out their duties in a manner responsive to community needs.

Fourth: Unification and development of the national Human Rights violations’ complaints mechanism

Providing an electronic platform to receive citizens’ complaints and protecting informants were at the center of the priorities of Government’s program, which may also contribute to an improvement of services provided to citizens through holding civil servants accountable, in addition to detect corruption. It provides an easy-to-use, cost–effective, and effortless reporting tool. In compliance with the government›s intention to develop this framework, it decided to improve the status of Human Rights by activating these platforms to receive complaints on such violations. The Government is also committed to implement the National Human Rights Action Plan to ensure citizens› right to hold the government or any of its public servants accountable for any violations they may face or in case of default.

Fifth: Institutionalization of the enforcement measures for Access to Information Law

Access to Information is considered as a fundamental right for citizens. Ensuring this right is a considered as a national priority in order to enhance the status of Human Rights in Jordan. This right is stipulated pursuant to Article “19” of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article “19” of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 10 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption-. Article “10” of the United Nations Convention against Corruption stipulates that public administrations have to empower citizens to access to information and to take measures to exercise such right in order to promote transparency and good governance. Jordan was the first Arab country that enacted a law that ensures access to information in 2007. The enforcement of this law has been challenged at the organizational and practical levels. The lack of enforcement measures has hindered individuals’ access. Due to the importance of access to information right as a practice of  democracy, this plan implies a commitment related to this priority, which should reflect positively on strengthening the rule of law, combating corruption and enhancing public accountability.