The Jordan National Centre for Human Rights was established by Royal Decree/Provisional Law on 19 December 2002 under Article 94(1) of the Constitution of Jordan and the decision of the Council of Ministers of the 3 December 2002. It became operational on 1 June 2003.

The Royal Decree was subsequently made permanent by the National Centre for Human Rights Law (Permanent Law No 51 of 2006).

The Centre has a wide human rights mandate and deals with cases of human rights violations, complaints, education and promotion, monitoring and integrating human rights into Jordanian legislation and practices.

Its primary objectives are to:

~ Promote the principles of human rights within the Kingdom by drawing from the tolerant teachings of Islam and the heritage of Arab Islamic values, as well as the rights enshrined in the Constitution and the principles asserted in international charters and covenants

~ Contribute to entrenching the principles of human rights within the Kingdom at both intellectual and practical levels and to ensure non-discrimination among citizens on the basis of race, language, religion or sex

~ Bolster the democratic process within the Kingdom in order to create a comprehensive and balanced model based on disseminating freedoms and safeguarding political pluralism, respecting the rule of law and guaranteeing the right to economic, social and cultural development

~ Strive to ensure the Kingdom's accession to Arab and International human rights charters and conventions.