A/HRC/25/58/Add.2 I. Introduction 1. The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief undertook a country visit to Jordan from 2 to 10 September 2013, with the aim of obtaining first-hand information on the situation of freedom of religion or belief in the country and to identify good practices, as well as existing or emerging challenges to the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. 2. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank all those who helped to make the visit possible and indeed, very fruitful. He expresses his profound gratitude to the Government of Jordan for the cordial invitation transmitted through its Permanent Mission in Geneva. The Government supported the visit in many ways, by, inter alia, exchanging views, facilitating contacts with representatives of different institutions and providing logistical support and information. 3. The Special Rapporteur is also indebted to many interlocutors from all branches of the State, diverse religious communities, as well as various civil society organizations. State representatives with whom he communicated included high-ranking representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry for Media Affairs, the Committee on Citizen’s Rights of the National Parliament, the Supreme Justice, the Chief Justice of the Sharia Courts, the National Centre for Human Rights and the Office of the Ombudsman. He met with State representatives outside the capital, including the Governor of the Karak governate. Towards the end of the visit, the team was cordially received by Prince Hassan Bin Talal, with whom an extensive exchange of views and assessments was held. The Special Rapporteur met with representatives of various religious communities, both leaders and ordinary members, including Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, Bani Maaroof (usually called “Druze”), Greek Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church (“Latins”), Greek Catholic Church (“Melkites”), Maronites, Anglicans, Baptists, Baha’is and others. Throughout the visit, he had substantive exchanges with various civil society organizations, both faith-based and secular, specialized in human rights issues in the country and the wider region. He also had meetings with representatives of a number of women’s rights organizations, academic institutions, political foundations and media organizations. When visiting the Zaatari camp near the border with the Syrian Arab Republic, the Special Rapporteur had the opportunity to discuss the situation of Syrian refugees in Jordan with representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He also met teachers and students, in particular during his visits to a number of public and private schools. 4. The Special Rapporteur benefited enormously from the many discussions held mostly in Amman, but also in Karak and the camp in Zaatari. All discussions took place in an open and constructive atmosphere. The visit would not have been possible without the invaluable support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva and the United Nations country team led by the Resident Coordinator in Amman. II. Legal framework A. International guarantees 5. Jordan is a State party to most international human rights treaties, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the 4