Amman: Secretary-General of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) Nadhir Awamleh and International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Coordinator in Jordan Amal Mowafy engaged in discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation and partnership in labor policy development, supporting social dialogue, and promoting decent work principles in the Kingdom.
According to Jordan News Agency, Awamleh emphasized the significance of collaboration with the ILO as a crucial partner in bolstering national efforts to advance Jordan's labor market framework. He underscored the Council's pivotal role in preparing studies, analytical papers, and evidence-based recommendations for stakeholders to enhance public policy development.
Awamleh highlighted the Labor Policies Committee's vital function in examining labor market issues, analyzing employment and unemployment challenges, reviewing pertinent legislation and policies, and fostering dialogue among various parties involved in the labor market. This involves balancing economic needs with workers' rights and employers' requirements.
Mowafy stressed the importance of partnering with the Economic and Social Council, acknowledging its role as a national platform for dialogue on economic and social issues. She affirmed the ILO's commitment to strengthening the partnership and offering technical support and international expertise in labor policies and skills development.
The discussion also covered future cooperation within the framework of the National Decent Work Programme 2026-2027. This program encompasses projects related to supporting exports to the European Union, the garment sector, just transitions regarding climate change, green jobs, workers in the education and health sectors, domestic workers, and employees in the informal sector, which constitutes over 50 percent of the labor market, alongside the ILO's "Mata" project.
The projects are aimed at developing labor policies, sectoral monitoring, assessing skills needs, and enhancing institutional capacities to improve the alignment between education and training outcomes and labor market requirements.
The meeting also explored potential joint initiatives, including drafting policy papers and specialized studies on employment and decent work, organizing dialogue sessions with government representatives, employers, and workers, and exchanging expertise and data to support evidence-based policymaking.
Both parties agreed to convene a meeting with members of the Labor Policies Committee at the Economic and Social Council. The objective is to introduce the objectives and areas of the National Decent Work Programme 2026-2027, discuss cooperation priorities, and establish a framework for future partnership between the Council and the ILO to support the development of Jordan's labor market and its sustainable economic and social progress.