Better Work is a partnership programme of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) established in 2007. Its objective is to improve labour standards and promote competitiveness in global supply chains in developing countries. The focus is on long-term sustainable solutions which build cooperation between government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and international buyers. Better Work Jordan has operated since 2008.
Better Work Jordan strives to accelerate improvements in working conditions and business competitiveness in Jordan’s garment industry as well as the exporting industrial sector at large.It will also boost scalability and sustainability of impact by strengthening the capacity of national stakeholders, aligning new strategic and operational partnerships, and shaping national policies. Accordingly, the programme’s intervention in the country is two-tiered: the factory-level and the institutional and policy level.
The agreement to simplify rules of origin signed by Jordan on 19 July 2016 and the EU constitutes part of the joint efforts to develop the private sector, encourage investment and create new work opportunities. It covers a wide arrange of manufactured products in 52 chapters within 18 special economic zones outlined in accordance with this agreement.
According to this agreement, Better Work agreed with the relevant partners to expand its services outside the textiles sector to include factories exporting within the framework of simplifying rules of origin. Better Work Jordan then tailored its tools and structured its services to adapt to the expansion outside the textiles sector to include the plastic, chemicals and engineering sectors. This process will amend the current model to accommodate the new sector characteristics and their needs, to develop them and assist them in compliance with the Labour Law and ILO Standards.