Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Social Policy (Basic Aims and Standards) Convention, 1962 (No. 117) - Jordan (Ratification: 1963)

Parts I and II of the Convention. Improvement of standards of living. The Government reports the adoption of different measures to increase the participation of women and other vulnerable groups in the labour market. The 2022 amendment of the Constitution, which henceforth refers to the “Rights and Duties of Jordanian Men and Women” (Title of Chapter II); protects the rights of persons with disabilities, motherhood, childhood and old age persons (Article 6, paragraph 5); guarantees equal opportunities of women and protect them from all forms of violence and discrimination (Article 6). The Government further indicates that during the years 2019 to 2023, amendments were made to the Labour Law to protect women's rights, which includes (i) a flexible work contract, prohibition of unequal remuneration or discrimination of workers based on sex, (ii) the increase of penalties in the Labour Code in case of remunerations below the minimum wage or any discrimination in remuneration based on sex (section 53); (iii) giving the Wages Authority the mandate to hear cases related to any wage discrimination (section 54/a/1); (iv) adding paternity leave (section 66/c); (v) punishment in the form of fines in case of employers committing act of sexual harassment; (vi) protection against any discrimination based on sex and pregnant and lactating women (Section 69). The Government also refers to the adoption of different pieces of legislation addressed to protect working women and other risk groups, which include the Flexible Work Law No. 22 of 2017, the Agricultural Workers Regulation No. 19 of 2021, the Income Tax Law No. 38 of 2018, the law amending the Social Security Law No. 24 of 2019, the Women's Strategy in the Vision of Economic Modernization, the Law No. 20 of 2017 on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Government describes different procedures, policies and programs that were adopted to protect vulnerable groups, including women, such as (i) the restructuration of the Directorate of Women's Work in 2020, which became the Directorate of Women and Gender, to ensure that clear tasks are defined to integrate gender into the Ministry’s work; and (ii) launch of the Women's Empowerment Strategy in the Vision of Economic Modernization in December 2022, which provides a perspective of women's empowerment in the vision of economic modernization, (iii) the Watan Service Program of 2019, (iv) the National Self-Employment Program “Arise” 2019, (v) the “Tawkeed” Program of 2021, (vi) the National Employment Program of 2022, and (vii) the Employment Opportunities Enhancement Program for Women (EPP). The Committee notes that, according to the World Bank database, the country has maintained a steady average growth rate of 2.5 per cent over the past decade. However, Jordan’s labour force participation rate was 33 per cent in 2023 (only 13.8 per cent for women), while unemployment increased to 22.3 per cent, remaining well above its pre-COVID-19 crisis average of 15.1 per cent (2012–19), with youth (46.1 per cent) and women (30.9 per cent) being the most affected. The Committee takes note of the above measures which have the potential to enhance social inclusion and economic participation, leading to equality of opportunities, improvements in financial stability and, ultimately, better living standards. The Committee wishes to invite the Government to address challenges related to boosting labour force participation rates and reducing unemployment, particularly among women and youth, including by addressing skills mismatch problems. The Government is also requested to indicate the efforts made to implement and monitor these measures so that they effectively translate into tangible improvements in the standard of living for all citizens. The Committee reiterates its request to the Government to provide statistics disaggregated by sex and age on the impact of the implementation of DWCP 2018–22 and other measures (in particular, the legislation, policies and programmes mentioned above) in the well-being of the population and the improvement of living standards.

Part III. Migrant workers. The Government indicates it adopted the Work Permit Fees Regulation for Non-Jordanians No. 142 of 2019, which regulates the relationship between employers and workers and was formulated to show the workers’ freedom to have a work permit. The Government also indicates that it has signed many bilateral agreements with labour-exporting countries to develop methods for labour exchange with the aim of mutual benefit to the parties based on international obligations in labour matters. The Government also explains that it has issued many procedures related to the legalization of non-Jordanian workers in accordance with the Labour Law. The Committee notes that in a keynote address at the Global Refugee Forum Geneva in December 2023, King Abdullah II of Jordan noted that the country hosts nearly 4 million refugees of different nationalities, including almost 1.4 million Syrians. He warned that international funding to face the refugee crisis had been steadily declining, and for 2023, the Government only received around 22 per cent of the response plan’s needs—the lowest level ever. Jordan remains committed to providing refugees with education, medical services, and access to livelihood opportunities, but sufficient funds were key to enable the Government to continue providing basic services. The Committee notes that despite its limited resources, the Government makes great efforts to provide decent livelihoods for refugees and that the financial requirements for the current year's Jordanian response plan for the Syrian crisis amounted to US$2.276 billion. The Government refers to the National Plan to Respond to the Syrian Crisis for 2020–22, which focused on two main pillars: (i) protecting refugees and (ii) supporting and empowering communities hosting refugees. The Government indicates that work is underway to agree on a new methodology in partnership with ministries, government institutions, donors and UN organizations to prepare the response plan for 2024–26. The Government points out that it was proactive in assisting and protecting Syrian victims. To this end, the Department of Refugee Affairs of General Security developed an action strategy to raise the level of all types of services to refugees, including services to reduce gender-based violence, build the capacity of service providers, and improve infrastructure. The Committee notes that the UNHCR reported that in 2022, the Government issued a record of 62,000 work permits to Syrians, marking the major progress achieved in Jordan in including Syrian refugees in the country’s labour market. The Government notes that this included 31,000 flexible permits, which allow refugees to move between similar jobs in the same sector. The Committee also notes Decision No. 58 of 2020 of the Minister of Labour related to professions closed to non-Jordanian workers. The Committee further notes the 2021 List of occupations allowed to non-Jordanian workers available at the UNHCR Operation Data Portal. The Committee further notes the presence in Jordan of approximately 2.4 million of Palestinian refugees, with limited employment opportunities due to legal and practical obstacles (ILO Prospects in Jordan – At a glance, 2022). Taking into account the significant challenges Jordan is facing, the Committee requests the Government to keep the Office informed of the implementation of the migration policy measures taken in relation to Articles 6–9 and 14(3) of the Convention as well as their impact, including by providing related statistical data.

Part IV. Remuneration of workers. Advances on wages. The Government indicates that according to the statistics from the Ministry of Labour related to judicial rulings issued for violations of the provisions of sections 47 and 48 of the Labour Code and section 139 of the same Act, classified as the non-payment of wages on time and illegal deductions in wages, the courts of first instance issued a total of 231 conviction decisions in 2022, while there was a total of 210 conviction decisions for the first half of 2023. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on rulings issued by the judicial or administrative authorities and to submit examples of judicial or administrative decisions pertaining to situations involving the application of articles 46 and 47 of the Labour Code.