Amman, May 18 (Petra) – Jordan is systematically shifting its macroeconomic policy to integrate human rights metrics directly into its corporate governance frameworks, aligned with its broader political, economic, and public sector modernization strategies. Speaking at a national consultative forum convened by the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) in coordination with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Samar Haj Hasan, Chairperson of the NCHR Board of Trustees, confirmed that the state is capitalizing on regulatory adjustments to construct a responsible, high-governance investment ecosystem that positions human capital protection at the core of economic development.

The operational objective of the consultation is to transition Jordan from basic conceptual awareness of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) to practical field implementation. Haj Hasan emphasized to delegates from the private sector, civil society, and international organizations that the Economic Modernization Vision deliberately looks beyond mere quantitative GDP growth. Instead, the strategic blueprint is engineered to position Jordan as a regional hub for socially responsible investment (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) compliance. This includes enforcing decent work standards and guaranteeing the integration of women, youth, and persons with disabilities into the formal economy.

Building on momentum generated by Jordan’s participation in the 2024 Inaugural Dialogue on Business and Human Rights in Doha, the state has initiated a comprehensive National Baseline Assessment (NBA). The assessment operationalizes the three core pillars of the UNGPs: the state duty to protect via regulatory enforcement, the corporate responsibility to respect through rigorous human rights due diligence (HRDD), and the provision of effective judicial and non-judicial remedy. Haj Hasan noted that the NBA serves as an analytical instrument to map legislative gaps and field-level operational variances, establishing a foundation for Jordan’s upcoming National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights to institutionalize corporate accountability.

Randa Aboul-Hasan, UNDP Resident Representative in Jordan, reaffirmed the agency's commitment to supporting the Kingdom's sustainable development pathways, specifically via projects mapped to the 2022–2033 Economic Modernization Vision execution timeline. The UNDP is actively funding institutional capacity-building programs within the NCHR to upgrade human rights advocacy, optimize data transparency, and facilitate structured multilateral dialogue. Aboul-Hasan stated that the current workshop acts as a vital diagnostic entry point to gather empirical feedback from localized market actors regarding systemic priorities and operational barriers. These milestones will culminate in Jordan hosting the Third Regional Dialogue on Business and Human Rights in the Arab States on June 17–18, 2026, serving as a high-level platform for transnational policy synchronization.

The technical proceedings featured a comprehensive briefing on global UNGP standards by Diana Jmeizat, Senior Program Coordinator at the UNDP. The operational architecture of the forum was structured around three disaggregated analytical sessions. The first session, managed by Talal Ghneimat, Executive Director of the Masarat Jordanian Complex for Development and Improvement, evaluated Jordan's domestic statutory framework against international compliance standards, assessing national integration mechanisms and examining the strategic role of the Ministry of Investment in steering private enterprises toward statutory human rights compliance. The second session, moderated by Hussein Al-Sarayrah, representative of the Politics and Society Institute, analyzed the mechanics of corporate due diligence, tracking supply-chain accountability, defending the right to a clean environment, and auditing the private sector's adherence to equity mandates concerning women and workers with disabilities. The final panel, guided by Nahla Al-Momani, Protection Commissioner at the NCHR, evaluated access to remedy, where discussions detailed the Ministry of Justice’s role in accelerating judicial recourse, civil society's capacity for monitoring, and the deployment of non-judicial alternative dispute resolution (ADR) tools, concluding with a strategic synthesis delivered by Jamal Al-Shamaileh, Government Coordinator for Human Rights.

//Petra// AA