Democracy, Human Rights & Governance

USAID advances political participation and civic leadership opportunities, particularly for women and youth, and enables civil society organizations to effectively represent and advocate the interests of all Jordanian people.

Mohammad Maghayda for USAID

BACKGROUND

Jordan is pursuing greater democratic accountability, transparency, and a stronger civil society. In 2011, His Majesty King Abdullah II launched a political reform process that emphasized greater citizen participation in decision-making and increased transparency and accountability at all levels of government. While Jordan has made important progress, challenges persist. Citizen-state trust has eroded amid increases in poverty and the cost of living. Citizen participation in decision-making is limited, particularly among marginalized segments of the population, such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities, and civil society is weak. Many citizens perceive that the government does not sufficiently address their needs.

USAID works with the Government of Jordan to advance the King’s vision for a more stable, secure, and democratic future by strengthening the partnership between government and citizens, bolstering civil society, and fortifying local governance to provide services that enable communities to thrive.

AREAS OF FOCUS

Efficient and Effective Governance

USAID supports the Government of Jordan as it pursues institutional resilience by enacting policies and reforms that increase the efficiency of public services, strengthen an independent judiciary, boost citizen participation, and bolster municipal decision-making to foster public confidence in the government.

Strong Civic Engagement 

USAID works with the Government of Jordan and civil society to strengthen political and civic engagement so that government institutions can effectively respond to the needs of all Jordanians and civil society can represent and advocate for people’s needs. USAID inspires young Jordanians to be more engaged in the governance of their country through civic engagement programs nationwide in schools and universities.

Advancing Citizen Rights

USAID partners with the Jordanian government and civil society to advance policies and reforms that protect the rights and interests of the entire Jordanian population, including marginalized groups, while expanding access to essential services. At the same time, USAID equips marginalized groups with skills and resources to advocate for their rights and actively participate in their country’s development.

NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS:

• With USAID assistance, the Government of Jordan adopted more than 40 e-services in several Ministries to improve public sector transparency and efficiency and expand access to public services. To enable delivery of justice to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID established a remote court system for virtual litigation.

• USAID helped host the first ever electoral candidate debates, bringing candidate platforms to more than 2,000,000 people on social media. Virtual town halls encouraged local officials to engage directly with citizens, increasing transparency of municipal services and incorporating feedback from more than 12,000 citizens into decision-making.

• The Independent Election Commission administered a transparent voting process for the 2020 parliamentary elections with USAID support, and mobilized more than 12,000 youth as volunteers and election observers. With USAID assistance, the Commission implemented COVID-19 health measures protecting voter safety, and accommodations to ensure equal access to polling stations for persons with disabilities in all municipalities, including 12 pilot highly-accessible polling stations.

• In 2020, the Ministry of Justice established, with USAID support, a Government Services Center in Amman, consolidating 18 public institutions in one location. A Government Services Center opened in Zarqa in 2021. The centers improve the efficiency of services provided to citizens and expedite legal case processing.

• USAID has helped municipalities respond to citizen needs by establishing 24 local development teams and tailoring local development plans to each community in 73 municipalities and 10 governorates, supporting essential services and COVID-19 needs and creating opportunities for investment and economic development.

• Since 2012, 90,000 grade school and university students have participated in civic education training supported by USAID, engaging directly with their elected officials and developing decision-making and advocacy skills.