Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Washington, DC

March 30, 2007

Statement by HRH Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein
Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
on the
Government of Jordan’s Plan of Action
to Strengthen Apparel Sector Labor Compliance

The Ministry of Labor of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is today releasing a Plan of Action that outlines initiatives our government has taken and will take to decisively strengthen our apparel sector’s labor compliance regime.

This plan includes a new factory monitoring and compliance program being developed for Jordan’s apparel sector by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Based on a model “Better Factories Program” pioneered in Cambodia, the program will establish a monitoring system and a process to track corrective actions in Jordan’s apparel sector, and build the compliance capacity of factories through needs assessment and training. Plans for this program are expected to be finalized in April 2007, with implementation anticipated shortly thereafter.

The Plan of Action highlights a number of other initiatives begin undertaken by our government, including the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Policy Alignment Committee to better coordinate enforcement actions among ministries; the clarification of legal provisions and procedures on migrant workers; significant budget increases for the Labor Ministry and Inspectorate; additional recruitment of labor inspectors; new training programs for labor inspectors; and various other donor-sponsored programs to enhance the Jordanian government’s institutional capacity for enforcement. The plan also describes direct measures being taken to improve working conditions, including the development of special inspection forces and the refurbishment of a joint industry-government code of conduct known as the Golden List.

This plan responds in part to the compliance challenges identified in a report issued last May by the U.S.-based National Labor Committee (NLC). It also marks a milestone in the Jordanian government’s efforts to tackle issues identified in an assessment that was conducted following the release of the May report. In order to obtain adequate baseline data and a more complete profile of improvements needed in the sector, the Government of Jordan commissioned a Joint Labor Assessment and Training Project with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The assessment, conducted between September and December 2006, resulted in findings and recommendations that informed this Plan of Action.