Jordan advances national ownership of stronger labour inspection and safer, fairer workplaces

Aqaba, Jordan (ILO News)- The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Labour (MoL) and with funding from the European Union (EU), concluded an assessment and on-the-job coaching activity that marks the conclusion of a long-term initiative launched in 2018 to strengthen Jordan’s labour inspection system.

This intervention represents the final field-based on-the-job coaching under a comprehensive capacity building programme aimed at improving workplace compliance, promoting decent working conditions, and strengthening occupational safety and health (OSH) practices across export-oriented industries, including those under the EU-Jordan Rules of Origin Framework (RoO). Over the years, the programme strengthened labour inspectors’ technical and practical capacities through on the job coaching, peer-to-peer mentoring, and factory field visits. It also supported the development of compliance assessment tools aligned with Jordanian labour legislation and the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Implemented as a long-term institutional strengthening initiative, the programme gradually transferred technical knowledge, operational responsibilities, and monitoring function tools from the ILO to the Ministry of Labour, enabling the Ministry to independently conduct inspections, advisory visits, assessments, and follow-up activities.

Rand Al Aaraj, ILO Enterprise Adviser, emphasized that “the ILO has remained committed to strengthening the capacity of labour inspectors through on the job coaching and practical assessment visits, and long-term institutional support. By supporting inspectors in improving their technical skills and on-site performance, we contribute to enhancing workplace compliance, promoting decent work principles, and advancing the strategic partnership between the International Labour Organization and the Ministry of Labour.”

She added: “This Aqaba activity concludes years of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and institutional capacity building supported by the European Union. It marks an important milestone toward stronger national ownership and the sustainability of labour inspection systems in Jordan.”

Tamer Rafique, Head of Compliance and HR at Sidney Apparels L.L.C., said that “the recent assessment conducted by the Ministry of Labour with the technical support of ILO stood out as more than a compliance review, combining awareness raising, capacity building, constructive engagement, and practical solutions to improve performance. The expertise and flexibility of the inspectors also helped create a collaborative environment that enhanced the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of the assessment.

The Ministry of Labour emphasized that the programme contributed significantly to strengthening labour inspectors’ technical capacities, improving inspection quality, and reinforcing the Ministry’s role in promoting labour compliance, occupational safety and health, and decent work.

The European Union’s support played a key role in advancing the programme’s objectives and supporting long-term institutional development efforts aimed at improving labour governance and working conditions in Jordan.
Since 2018, the ILO–MoL labour inspector capacity building programme has contributed to building a stronger and more sustainable inspection framework within the Ministry of Labour through practical coaching, advisory support, and the gradual transition of responsibilities.