JORDANIAN MFA PROPOSING NEW, MORE LIBERAL LAW

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 005826

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2012
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM JO
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN MFA PROPOSING NEW, MORE LIBERAL LAW
GOVERNING ITS FOREIGN SERVICE

REF: AMMAN 4864

Classified By: Political Counselor Douglas A. Silliman for reasons 1.5
(B) and (D)


1. (C) MFA Legal Advisor Samer Naber told PolCouns recently
that one of Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher's current highest
administrative priorities is to pass through the cabinet a
new law governing the Jordanian Foreign Service. Naber said
the law, which he is writing, will incorporate at Muasher's
request strict gender equality in hiring, compensation,
benefits, and assignments. Jordan's tradition , Naber said,
had been to hire unmarried women for its diplomatic service,
but require that they resign or agree to very restricted
careers if/when they married. He claimed that this new law,
if passed by the cabinet and signed by the King, will be the
most liberal law governing public sector employment in
Jordan.


2. (C) In addition to gender equality, Naber said that
Muasher wanted to enshrine in law a requirement for strong
English language ability to apply for the Jordanian Foreign
Service. Muasher believes that Jordanian diplomats must have
sophisticated English to carry out both policy and
increasingly important trade and investment promotion
responsibilities abroad. Muasher had proposed to the cabinet
that all/all applicants show proof of a TOEFL (Test of
English as a Foreign Language) score of 600. However, Naber
recounted, Muasher had run into opposition on this point from
other ministries, especially the (generally non-English
speaking) Interior Ministry. Eventually, Muasher convinced
the cabinet to require s TOEFL score of 550 for all Foreign
Service aspirants.


3. (C) The head of Jordan's Diplomatic Institute recently
told visiting FSI Dean Kathy Peterson that Muasher also wants
to create an examination process for both entry into and
promotion within the Foreign Service, and that Muasher is
stressing the need for leadership/management training for
diplomats who have traditionally focused on "diplomacy." In
addition, he said Muasher wants to increase the quality and
frequency of economic training, as shown by the GOJ's efforts
to bring all Jordanian Ambassador's back to Amman for a
conference on economics and trade promotion (ref).

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COMMENT
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4. (C) The draft Foreign Service law and Muasher's emphasis
on training reflect the forward-looking personal philosophy
of the Foreign Minister, both in terms of gender equality and
in preparing the Jordanian Foreign Service to integrate
Jordan into the world economy. It is also instructive that
something as innocuous as an English language requirement
created a controversy that had to be solved at the cabinet
level.
GNEHM