Jeddah – The National Center for Human Rights (NCHR), represented by its Acting Head, Dr. Reem Abu Dalbouh, participated in the meetings of the 20th Regular Session of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held at the Commission’s permanent headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, under the theme “The Right to Family Life.”
During her intervention at the seminar, Abu Dalbouh emphasized the importance of countries amending their laws and legislation to preserve the social fabric of families in all their forms and protect the family institution across the Arab world.
She highlighted that Jordan had introduced constitutional amendments affirming that the family is the foundation of society, protecting women from violence, and safeguarding the rights and welfare of children and young people. She noted that these reforms were driven by high-level political will, reflected in the Royal directives calling for the necessary legislative amendments.
Abu Dalbouh added that Jordan had also introduced amendments to various national laws, including the enactment of the Child Rights Law, which aims to provide comprehensive protection for children in accordance with societal values.
She further highlighted the enactment of the Protection from Domestic Violence Law, the adoption of the Jordanian Personal Status Law, which includes amendments safeguarding the right to family life, and amendments to the Jordanian Penal Code.
Regarding the involvement of young people as a fundamental pillar of society, Abu Dalbouh emphasized that Jordan had introduced significant legislative reforms in accordance with the Royal directives.
She noted that the minimum age for parliamentary candidacy had been lowered to 25 and that young people aged 18 to 35 must be represented among the first five positions on national political party electoral lists.
Abu Dalbouh stressed the importance of adopting a comprehensive framework for amending family-related legislation and emphasized the need for cooperation and participation among all countries in this regard, while respecting each country’s particular values.
She also reviewed the role of the National Center for Human Rights in Jordan in conducting periodic reviews of existing legislation, submitting proposals for necessary amendments, and issuing recommendations through its annual reports.
In concluding her remarks, Abu Dalbouh commended the Commission’s role and achievements in advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms across Islamic countries.
It is worth noting that the seminar was attended by members of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission, relevant experts from international organizations, and representatives of OIC member states and observer states, as well as their respective national human rights institutions.
