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Jordan

Access to Information Law (JO0063)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Jordan Action Plan 2018-2020

Action Plan Cycle: 2018

Status: Active

Institutions

Lead Institution: Department of the National Library, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, and the Integrity and Anti - Corruption Commission (the fourth milestone of the commitment)

Support Institution(s): Friends of the Jordanian Parliament Association - Gateway Development Association for Studies, Research and Training - Family Awareness and Guidance Center - Community Media Network - Academy of Change for Democracy and Development Studies - Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists - Arab World Center for Democratic Development - TAMKEEN Initiative - National Center for Human Rights - Jordan Association for Entrepreneurship - Al-Hayat Center - Rased - Jordanian Association Of Transparency

Policy Areas

Capacity Building, E-Government, Human Rights, Legislation & Regulation, Right to Information, Sustainable Development Goals

IRM Review

IRM Report: Pending IRM Review

Starred: Pending IRM Review

Early Results: Pending IRM Review

Design i

Verifiable: Pending IRM Review

Relevant to OGP Values: Not Relevant

Potential Impact: Pending IRM Review

Implementation i

Completion: Pending IRM Review

Description

Institutionalization of the enforcement measures
for Access to Information Law Lead implementing agency
Commitment Description
1 / 9 / 2018 - 30 / 6 / 2020
Department of the National Library, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology,
and the Integrity and Anti - Corruption Commission (the fourth milestone of the commitment) What is the public
problem that the
commitment will
address?
This commitment was made to address the current situation of the enforcement of the
Access to Information law, issued in 2007. Government institutions lack a clear and
uniform system for the classification and management of information. The process of
acquiring information by journalists and other stakeholders is characterized with difficulty
and excessive bureaucracy, making the information useless when finally acquired. There
are significant deficiencies in the procedural framework of requesting information,
processing requests and providing information, resulting sets of information with poor
quality. Despite the existence of the law and some of the instructions issued thereunder,
the main problem remains as application and compliance, due to either technical reasons
or to the awareness by governmental officials on the importance of access to information.
What is the commitment?
This commitment seeks to strengthen the enforcement of the Access to Information law,
through participatory efforts by relevant state and non-state actors. It also aims to build
a unified system for the classification and management of governmental information,
while considering the differences between governmental institutions. Furthermore, the
commitment pursues a goal of compliance with the classification of information by the
competent agency.
How will the commitment
contribute to solve the
public problem?
A unified system for the classification and management of information, that takes account
of the differences between governmental institutions, will contribute to facilitating the
process of obtaining and benefiting from information in a timely manner. It will also
contribute to increasing the awareness of governmental officials on the importance of
access to information and shall encourage them to comply and promote a culture of
informational openness. Why is this commitment
relevant to OGP values?
This commitment is based on the notion of making access to information an integral
right for citizens, one of OGP’s major valu e s. The commitment also relates to Public
Accountability, as a result of better acces s to information.
The commitment is consistent with the value of Civic Participation as well, since it requires
participatory actions gathering state and non-state actors throughout its implementation.
Additional information
This commitment is linked to the E-Government Program at the Ministry of information
and Communications Technology. The fourth milestone of this commitment is linked to
the National Strategy for Integrity and the Combating Corruption 20172025- (Project 23)
and the National Human Rights Strategy 20162030-.
The commitment is in line with SDG 16, particularly sub-goal 16.10 to “ensure public
access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national
legislation and international agreements”.
This commitment comes as a continuation of the work on Commitment 1 of Jordan’s third
NAP under OGP 20162018-, and has been designed based on progress evaluation.
Milestone Activity with a verifiable deliverable
Start
implementation
Date
End
implementation
Date
Forming a team of experts from relevant government agencies, nongovernmental
organizations and institutions concerned with human rights (civil
society, journalists, local and international experts, legal specialists, academics,
NCHR), to work jointly within the following scope:
A. Setting a vision for an institutional protocol to enforce access to information,
with best practices, especially those related to receiving and handling information
requests, and the classification, management and archiving of governmental
information. This entails clear procedures and standards to facilitate acquiring
and retrieving information in a speedy manner, and the provision of a “fasttrack
approach” for journalists. The protocol will be unified and will consider the
differences between governmental institutions, in order to fill the gaps in current
application status, and to promote voluntary pre-disclosure of information to
serve public interests.
B. Developing tools to measure the quality of information granted to applicants,
in addition to pre-disclosed information published voluntarily.
C. Reviewing existing government regulations and instructions concerning the
enforcement of the Access to Information law, and comparing them with the
protocols and guidelines recommended by the Expert Group (milestones 1, 2
and 3) to prevent any duplication or conflict.
1 / 9 / 2018 30 / 9 / 2019 ssuing the protocols / instructions and circulating them to all relevant ministries
and governmental institutions, and disseminating them on various governmental
digital platforms and social media accounts.
1 / 10 / 2019 30 / 12 / 2019
Developing and implementing an awareness plan on the importance of
information classification and pre-disclosure, through direct tools (meetings
and awareness sessions), and indirect tools (publishing through governmental
platforms, media, social media and billboards in government institutions). This
plan is aimed at senior positions in governmental bodies and officials responsible
for disseminating information and receiving requests for information (electronic
and direct), in addition to reception staff, in order to enhance the understanding
and application of approved procedures.
1 / 1 / 2020 30 / 6 / 2020
Monitoring the compliance of public administration institutions with
the classification of information by conducting an evaluation of relevant
governmental institutions, issuing a report, then circulating and publishing it, as
a prelude to an annual evaluation process that seeks to promote the practices
and culture of access to information.
1 / 1 / 2020 30 / 6 / 2020
Contact Information
Name of responsible person from implementing agency
Nada Khater
Ena'am Mutawe
Elham AlZu'bi
Email and Phone
Nada.khater@moict.gov.jo
+962798510405
enaam.mutawe@nl.gov.jo
+962795916917
Elham.zoubi@jiacc.gov.jo
+962770452866
Other Actors Involved
(CSOs and Experts)
Name of the CSOs and
experts who applied for the
voluntary assistance to the
implementation of the 4th
NAP. Open call of interest
was launched during 2 -17
/ 12 / 2018.
- Friends of the Jordanian Parliament Association
- Gateway Development Association for Studies, Research and Training
- Family Awareness and Guidance Center
- Community Media Network
- Academy of Change for Democracy and Development Studies
- Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists
- Arab World Center for Democratic Development
- TAMKEEN Initiative
- National Center for Human Rights
- Jordan Association for Entrepreneurship
- Al-Hayat Center - Rased
- Jordanian Association Of Transparency

Commitments

  1. Public Sector/Civil Society Collaboration

    JO0059, 2018, Civic Space

  2. Open Data

    JO0060, 2018, Capacity Building

  3. Fostering National Dialogue to Achieve Political Reform

    JO0061, 2018, Capacity Building

  4. Human Rights Violations Complaint Mechanism

    JO0062, 2018, Capacity Building

  5. Access to Information Law

    JO0063, 2018, Capacity Building

  6. Strengthen the Legislative Framework Governing Access to Information

    JO0048, 2016, Legislation & Regulation

  7. Strengthen the Facilities Available for Persons with Disabilities to Access the Justice System

    JO0049, 2016, Capacity Building

  8. Strengthen the Framework Governing the Freedom of the Media

    JO0050, 2016, Capacity Building

  9. Starred commitment Issue the Requisite Regulations and Instructions to Implement the Decentralization Law and Hold Governorate Council Elections in 2017

    JO0051, 2016, Capacity Building

  10. Develop Healthcare Services and Automate the Healthcare Sector Through Electronic Linkages

    JO0052, 2016, Capacity Building

  11. Develop an Interactive Observatory Forum for Citizens to Monitor the Implementation of the Government’S Plans and Progress

    JO0053, 2016, Capacity Building

  12. Adopt the Principle of Budget Disclosure in Accordance with International Standards and Promote Transparency and Financial Disclosure

    JO0054, 2016, Capacity Building

  13. Develop Transparent and Participatory Policies Regarding Climate Change Challenges

    JO0055, 2016, Capacity Building

  14. Implement an Open Data Sources Policy

    JO0056, 2016, Capacity Building

  15. Complaints and Grievances Related to Violations Committed Against Citizen

    JO0057, 2016, E-Government

  16. Complaints Related to Governmental Services and the Surrounding Environment of Its Provision

    JO0058, 2016, Capacity Building

  17. Internal Control Units Structures

    JO0034, 2014, Asset Disclosure

  18. Improve Service Delivery

    JO0035, 2014, Capacity Building

  19. Develop Service Delivery Standards and Targets

    JO0036, 2014, Capacity Building

  20. Publish Service Delivery Standards

    JO0037, 2014, Capacity Building

  21. Ensuring Full Compliance with Service Delivery Standards

    JO0038, 2014, Audits and Controls

  22. Service Delivery Process Assessment

    JO0039, 2014, Audits and Controls

  23. Upgrading Services in Remote Areas

    JO0040, 2014, Capacity Building

  24. Developing a Services-Monitoring Body

    JO0041, 2014, Public Service Delivery

  25. Public-Sector Restructuring

    JO0042, 2014, Legislation & Regulation

  26. Update the Civil Service Bylaw

    JO0043, 2014, Capacity Building

  27. Code of Ethics in Civil Service

    JO0044, 2014, Capacity Building

  28. Institutional Capacity Building

    JO0045, 2014, Legislation & Regulation

  29. Applying the Principles of Good Governance

    JO0046, 2014, Capacity Building

  30. Media-Sector Restructuring

    JO0047, 2014, Civic Space

  31. Promoting the Culture of Excellence in Public Sector

    JO0001, 2012, Capacity Building

  32. Improve Citizen Feedback and Complaint Mechanisms

    JO0002, 2012, Justice

  33. Ensure the Implementation of the “Government Services Improvement Guidelines Manual”

    JO0003, 2012, Public Service Delivery

  34. Conduct a Comprehensive Customers- Satisfaction Survey

    JO0004, 2012, Public Service Delivery

  35. Designing the Second Phase of the National Program for Improving Public Services

    JO0005, 2012, Public Service Delivery

  36. Enhance Partnership and Integration Among Government-S Entities

    JO0006, 2012, Public Service Delivery

  37. Amending “The Government Services Improvement Bylaw”

    JO0007, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  38. Continue Working on Linking the Governmental Institutions with the E-Government

    JO0008, 2012, E-Government

  39. Enactment of a New E-Transactions Law

    JO0009, 2012, E-Government

  40. Amendment of the Audit Bureau Law

    JO0010, 2012, Audits and Controls

  41. Establish an Internal Audit Function in Line Ministries

    JO0011, 2012, Audits and Controls

  42. Setting Standards and Indicators to the Internal Audit Units.

    JO0012, 2012, Audits and Controls

  43. Anti-Corruption Law Reform

    JO0013, 2012, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  44. Ensuring the Implementation of the Code of Conduct Among Government Employees

    JO0014, 2012, Conflicts of Interest

  45. Strengthening the Financial and Operational Independence of the National Center for Human Rights.

    JO0015, 2012, Civic Space

  46. Starred commitment Approval of the Independent National Electoral Commission Law

    JO0016, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  47. Adoption of a New Political Parties Law by Parliament

    JO0017, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  48. Approval of the New Elections Law by Parliament

    JO0018, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  49. Holding a Municipal Elections in 2013

    JO0019, 2012, Subnational

  50. Starred commitment Establishment of a Constitutional Court

    JO0020, 2012, Judiciary

  51. Establishment of an Administrative Court.

    JO0021, 2012, Judiciary

  52. Adopting Amendments to the Access to Information Law

    JO0022, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  53. Completion of the Second Phase of the Jordan Aid Information Management System-JAIMS

    JO0023, 2012, Aid

  54. Publishing the Annual Reports for 2011 of the Audit Bureau and Anti-Corruption Commission

    JO0024, 2012, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  55. National Procurement Systems Self Assessment

    JO0025, 2012, Open Contracting and Procurement

  56. Unified Procurement Bylaw

    JO0026, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  57. Transparency in Public Spending

    JO0027, 2012, Fiscal Transparency

  58. Gender and Child Aspects in Government Units Budget

    JO0028, 2012, Gender

  59. Enhance the Transparency of the General Budget Preparation and Disseminate Information on Process

    JO0029, 2012, Fiscal Transparency

  60. Preparing a Strategy for the Financial Decentralization Project

    JO0030, 2012, Oversight of Budget/Fiscal Policies

  61. Launching GFMIS in Government Ministries and Departments and Financial Centers

    JO0031, 2012, E-Government

  62. Increasing Transparency and Accountability in the Use of Public Funds

    JO0032, 2012, Audits and Controls

  63. Initiating Discussions to Join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

    JO0033, 2012, Extractive Industries