§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Jordanian Government about human rights abuses relating to women. [8071]
§ Mr. BradshawThe UK has an active dialogue at official level with the Jordanian Government and with Jordanian NGOs about human rights matters.
The UK also plays a leading role in multilateral fora to promote the human rights of women, and supports initiatives to eliminate violence against women. At the UN Commission on Human Rights in April 2001, together with EU partners, we stated that social, cultural or religious factors cannot be used as a justification for violating the human rights of women and girls.
At the UN General Assembly in 2000, the UK co-sponsored and played a strong role in negotiating the passage of the first ever resolution on so called "honour crimes". The resolution was a significant step forward in raising awareness of this violent crime. It was adopted by a vote of 120 votes to zero, though 25 countries, including Jordan, abstained.
The UK's main development programme supports a number of reforms in social policy and social protection in Jordan, including the rights of women.