The major battle that the human civilization is facing in the present era is regarding pollution; one of a serious threat among these pollutions is the contamination of water bodies due to oil spills. Oil spills from ships, tankers, or leaks in marine oil pipes are something that is needed to deal with to make the earth a better place. To protect the water and the environment, this oil should be removed from the water or the surface. The chances for oil spills have reduced as we have observed there is a significant change in the pattern with the decrease of the use of tankers and pipelines for oil and petroleum derivatives. The point should be that according to the researchers, the marine ecosystem is damaged even more by the other sources of pollution even though the event of oil spills is certainly much sensational. There is an urgent requirement of advanced eco-friendly tools to eliminate spilled oil. Some studies suggest that the use of organic matter may be an effective step in such an oil spilled scenario. Organic matter acts as a sorbent, a surfactant, and a separator and can make using a variety of ingredients such as organic, inorganic, synthetic, or different, but they must interact with the biological system. Some organic materials can contaminate the water more than the oil that is spread, so eco-friendly, non-toxic, low-cost organic matter should be used for oil removal and recovery. If the oil is recovered from the environmental surface, then after the successful removal of that oil, it can be conducive to sustainable development. This review summarizes the overall perspective on the potential of different biomaterials for the removal of accidentally spilled oils.

Corruption is a constant dilemma that challenges societies and manifests itself differently in every state and civilization. This phenomenon has disastrous consequences on the economy and society. After clarifying the different approaches to corruption, this paper sheds light on the types of corruption and its causes. Sources of corruption can lie in the weakness of the rule of law, judiciary, internal control system, and low wages (Sumpf, Araji, & Crompton, 2016). This paper also examines important anti-corruption instruments such as international and regional organizations, and governmental and non-governmental bodies. It intends to review the state of corruption at the national level and how Jordan and Iraq tackled corruption by analyzing the data of the reports published by the transparency organization and the local authorities: the Jordanian Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Iraqi Federal Commission of Integrity. The aim is to show what these nations have done on a domestic level to fulfill the international requirement to reduce corruption. This study found that most anti-corruption laws are laws to establish relevant bodies and departments, but they are not special laws to combat corruption crimes. Moreover, although Iraq and Jordan joined international and regional conventions to combat corruption, they have not been fully successful in curbing it. The main recommendations based on these findings are to increase the role of international and local monitoring agencies, enforce written laws, and enhance cooperation between agencies. Arab countries must establish clear public policies and strategies for combating corruption.

The international protection of human rights, including those of religious minorities, has mainly developed through instruments adopted under the framework of the United Nations. After clarifying the concept of minorities, this article focuses on the legal protection of minority rights, particularly of religious minorities, under international instruments. It sheds light on the participation of Arab Mashreq states in the preparation of these instruments, in terms of their position in the elaboration of the instruments, and their multiple reservations. It offers an objective analysis of the issue of religious minorities in the Arab Mashreq region, and the necessity to respect their rights fully in order to build democracy and states of citizenship.

The study addressed the impact of COVID-19 on public rights and freedoms. The research question is to what extent it is possible to achieve compatibility between preserving public health in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and protecting the basic rights and freedoms of individuals, and how the Jordanian government dealt with the pandemic by resorting to exceptional legislation in this regard. To address this problem the study focused on the legislative basis which the Jordanian government relied on to confront the pandemic and the manifestations of prejudicing general rights and freedoms. The study discussed the compatibility between respecting rights and freedoms, and combating the pandemic. The conclusion is that the Jordanian government imposed harsh legislations which restricted individuals’ rights. It is recommended that the Jordanian government adopt preventive measures to combat the epidemic in line with international standards on respecting human rights. Policies are suggested.   Received: 14 June 2022 / Accepted: 19 August 2022 / Published: 2 September 2022

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, countries have instituted multiple regulations and implemented various measures to preserve public health. One of the most important measures is quarantine, which restricts the right to freedom of movement enshrined in international and national laws (UN General Assembly, 1948). The study aims to clarify the freedom of movement concept and to consider the legality of quarantine as a restriction on this right (Talbi, 2021). It also aims to tackle the national regulations and procedures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait. The research problem is the lack of clarity regarding the national legal framework and procedures related to quarantine, and the lack of deterrent penalties related to their violation, as well as the difference and disparity among the countries under study in response to the rules of international law and the application of procedures and penalties in the face of COVID-19. The authors relied on an analytical and comparative approach of the legislative provisions in addition to a statistical database published by a trusted website. The study concluded that the legal provisions related to confronting COVID-19 are still unclear and that the penalties do not serve as deterrents.