Sixtieth session Agenda item 112 (e) Elections to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other elections: election of 47 members of the Human Rights Council Note verbale dated 20 April 2006 from the Permanent Mission of Jordan to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General The Permanent Mission of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United Nations presents its compliments to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and has the honour to inform him that Jordan has presented its candidature to the Human Rights Council at the elections to be held in New York on 9 May 2006. The Permanent Mission of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has further the honour to present documents detailing Jordan’s contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights as well as its voluntary pledges and commitments in accordance with resolution 60/251 (see annex). Annex to the note verbale dated 20 April 2006 from the Permanent Mission of Jordan to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General Jordan’s pledges and commitments pursuant to resolution 60/251 Jordan fully supported and welcomed the establishment of the Human Rights Council. In presenting its candidacy for the elections to the Council, the Government of Jordan is committed to working closely and cooperatively with its members and all other stakeholders, governmental and non-governmental, to ensure that this new machinery can deliver in the most efficient and effective manner for the promotion and protection of human rights. In advancing the agenda of human rights, Jordan strongly believes that the Human Rights Council should address all situations of human rights violations and serve as an important vehicle in preventing their recurrence. At the national level, the Constitution places great importance on human rights and civil liberties and its guarantees conform to the standards under relevant international instruments. The National Centre for Human Rights, an independent national institute, contributes significantly to the advancement of human rights in Jordan and serves as a monitoring body charged with addressing any human rights violations; examining individual complaints; and providing legal and technical assistance. Furthermore, the country has taken progressive steps to ensure the full enjoyment by all women, on the basis of equality, of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Jordan’s commitment to the empowerment of women and gender equality has been a priority in national policy. Equally important, the Government has developed national strategies for the promotion and well-being of the child. In demonstrating transparency and accountability, the Government of Jordan welcomes local and international human rights entities to look into allegations of human rights abuses; and is pleased to extend an open invitation to all Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts to visit Jordan in the context of their mandates. Jordan has shouldered enormous human responsibilities. Over the last decades, the country has given shelter and protection to many waves of refugees; Jordan, as a long-standing host country, reiterates its commitment to fulfilling its obligations in accordance with the principles of international refugee law, including those which are peremptory as well as international human rights law. In addition, Jordan has maintained close cooperation with UNHCR and other relevant United Nations agencies regarding refugees in order to mitigate their suffering and help to find durable solutions to their plight. In this context, Jordan applied for membership in the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and stands ready to discharge its responsibilities objectively once elected as a member of the Executive Committee. Jordan has signed and ratified many instruments relating to human rights including: • Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide • International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights • International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women • Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment • International Convention against Apartheid in Sports • Convention on the Rights of the Child • Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others • Convention on the Political Rights of Women • Convention on the Nationality of Married Women • Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages • Protocol amending the Slavery Convention signed at Geneva on 25 September 1926 • Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery • United Nations Convention against Corruption • United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime Jordan also signed the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict; and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Finally, Jordan is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Jordan was the first Arab and Middle Eastern country to ratify the Rome Statute. Thus, Jordan has committed itself to implementing the object and purpose of the Rome Statute in fighting impunity, together with other obligations emanating from the Statute including cooperation with the Court.   \* MERGEFORMAT 2 \* MERGEFORMAT 3 United Nations A/60/819 General Assembly Distr.: General 25 April 2006 Original: English 06-32742 (E) 280406 *0632742* A/60/819 A/60/819