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DE RUEHAM #0189/01 0220929
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220929Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
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RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 6147
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3884
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 4052
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1491
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 5310
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0694

UNCLAS AMMAN 000189 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL/ILCSR TU DANG 
STATE PASS DOL/ILAB TINA MCCARTER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI USAID JO
SUBJECT: 2008 CHILD LABOR UPDATE FOR JORDAN 
 
REF: A. STATE 127448 
     ¶B. AMMAN 3388 
     ¶C. AMMAN 1661 
     ¶D. 06 AMMAN 8967 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: The Government of Jordan (GOJ) has taken some 
positive steps recently to combat child labor, including the 
development of a national strategy to eliminate the worst 
forms of child labor. A number of existing laws seek to 
prevent child labor and provide punishments for those who 
exploit children; however, available legal remedies and the 
GOJ's capacity to implement and enforce child labor laws are 
not sufficient to adequately deter violations and punish 
violators. Several laws also require amendments to conform to 
Jordan's obligations under international labor conventions. 
The GOJ participates in several projects aimed at reducing 
child labor, including the provision of non-formal education 
to out-of-school youth. Estimates on the number of child 
workers vary greatly, but they are primarily found working as 
street vendors, mechanics, painters, and carpenters in the 
larger, more industrial cities of Amman, Zarqa, and Irbid and 
in agriculture. Civil society contacts believe that child 
labor has increased slightly in the past couple years due to 
a combination of high unemployment and inflation; however, 
there is some optimism among governmental and non-government 
organizations that the trend can be reversed.  A strong 
reason for this optimism is the GOJ's active support of the 
new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) child labor project, which 
aims to reduce the number of children from the worst forms of 
child labor in the near-term while strengthening capacity, 
technical skills, and coordination at the national level to 
combat child labor. End Summary. 
 
Jordan's Child Labor Policy 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The GOJ has recognized the existence and problem of 
child labor and has developed a strategy to combat child 
labor.  It also includes the elimination of the worst forms 
of child labor as a goal in other national platforms. 
 
-- A National Strategy for the Elimination of the Worst Forms 
of Child Labor was developed in 2004 by the Ministry of Labor 
(MOL), with ILO support and in consultation with a range of 
stakeholders. The strategy analyzed the situation and 
suggested a range of measures.  Implementation has been 
extremely weak, in part due to weaknesses in legislation, 
lack of government capacity, and lack of effective 
coordination among authorities. 
 
--The Jordanian National Plan of Action (NPA) for Children 
2004-2013 aims to eliminate the worst forms of child labor by 
2014 and to decrease the number of all child laborers. 
 
-- Jordan's National Agenda 2006-2015 reinforces the national 
child labor strategy by also including a goal to eliminate 
the worst forms of child labor. The National Agenda includes 
500,000 JD ($700,000) to combat child labor through labor 
inspections and vocational training centers offering free 
courses to 16-18 year olds. 
 
-- A code of conduct to combat child labor was announced in 
July 2007 with support from both public and private sector 
representatives.  The code, developed as part of the ILO 
program to combat child labor, highlights areas of concern, 
including health and safety hazards, and explains how 
employers can turn away fathers seeking employment for their 
children. 
 
¶3. (U) Basic education is compulsory and free until the age 
of 16 (10th grade). The two years of secondary education are 
free but not compulsory. However, students must pay school 
fees every semester to cover the costs of uniforms, book, and 
some supplies. The fees are 20 JD ($28) for primary, 30 JD 
($42) for secondary, and 40 JD ($56) for vocational 
education. Local experts feel that opportunity costs for 
education combined with direct costs of school fees and 
additional school supplies creates a barrier for children of 
poor families, especially girls. (Note: Current overall 
primary attendance rates are 95 percent for primary and 75 
for secondary. End Note) Children that have dropped out for 
three or more years are not allowed to return to school if 
they are 13 or older. Despite compulsory education, the law 
contains no penalties for parents whose children drop out of 
school. 
 
Laws and Regulations Related to Child Labor 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) No new laws or amendments were adopted in 2008 to 
address the issue of child labor, but a  number of existing 
laws include articles relating to the prevention of child 
labor or the prosecution of offenders: 
 
-- The labor law forbids employment for children under the 
age of 16, except as apprentices. Children under the age of 
18 may not work for more than six hours continuously, between 
the hours of 8 pm and 6 am, or during weekends, religious 
celebrations, or national holidays. Children are also 
precluded from working in hazardous occupations, which 
include operating machinery, heavy lifting, and working in 
extreme temperatures. The definition of hazardous work dates 
to 1997, however, and needs updating to take into account the 
worst forms of child labor, such as forced labor conditions. 
 
-- Article 5 of the Law of Service Personnel in the Armed 
Forces of 1972 stipulates that a person must be 16 years of 
age to be recruited into the military. In practice, the Armed 
Forces do not recruit individuals under the age of 18; 
however, this law must be amended to conform with the 
Optional Protocol to the Convention of the Rights of the 
Child, which Jordan ratified. 
 
-- Article 4 of the Social Security Law stipulates that 
children working in the informal sector, tourism, and 
agriculture or assisting the family in domestic service are 
not included in social security. 
 
--Article 310 of the Penal Code stipulates that having any 
type of unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman under 20 
years of age is punishable up to three years in prison and a 
50 JD ($70) fine. (Note: Article 311 includes an up to three 
year prison term for procuring a female of any age. End Note) 
 Trafficking-in-children is not specifically prohibited; 
however, Articles 287 and 291 outline punishments related to 
abduction of children with punishments up to 3 years in 
prison and 25 JD ($35) fine. A comprehensive anti-trafficking 
law was approved by Cabinet in December 2008.  The next step 
is for Parliament to vote on the draft law. (Ref B). 
 
¶5. (U) Jordan endorsed ILO Convention 182 on the elimination 
of the worst forms of child labor in 2000; however, the MOL 
must update its current list of hazardous jobs to conform to 
the worst forms of child labor as stipulated in the 
convention. Jordan also ratified the Convention on the Rights 
of the Child in 1991, and in 1998, ILO Convention 138, which 
specifies the minimum working age for children. 
 
Implementation and Enforcement of Regulations 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) The GOJ's capacity to implement and enforce child 
labor laws is not currently sufficient to adequately deter 
violations; however, MOL officials have indicated that there 
are plans to address these deficiencies in the coming months. 
 
--The MOL's Child Labor Unit (CLU) is tasked with 
coordinating government action regarding child labor, 
including the receipt and investigation of child labor 
complaints. The CLU, however, is currently staffed by one 
person, who is unable to direct labor inspections or 
coordinate efforts across ministries. The National Steering 
Committee for Combating Child Labor is not active, but the 
DOL child labor project plans to reintroduce this 
coordination mechanism. 
--Each labor inspector is required to cover four areas during 
inspections; child labor, labor relations, occupation safety 
and health, and general labor situation. The MOL hired 60 
additional labor inspectors in 2008 to bring the total to 
140, and MOL officials have indicated that they plan to 
recruit 25 more inspectors in the next couple months. 
Inspectors are mandated to perform inspections covering all 
registered institutions regardless of the number of 
employees. (Note: Social security inspections exclude 
establishments where the majority of children are employed - 
those employing 5 workers or less and establishments in the 
informal sectors, such as agriculture, small family 
businesses and domestic services. End Note) Inspectors 
receive limited training on child labor, including 
identification, as part of their overall training. 
 
--The Public Security Department (PSD) does not have any 
officers specifically assigned to investigate child labor, 
and they do not actively conduct any related investigations. 
 
¶7. (U) MOL officials have indicated they are finalizing plans 
to restructure the inspectorate, which should result in 
enhanced child labor inspections. Currently, there are 21 
labor offices country-wide that conduct inspections; however, 
all but three, must also perform other MOL functions, 
including related to the recruitment of Jordanian and foreign 
workers The plan is to establish seven to nine regional 
inspection offices with the sole task of conducting 
inspections leaving the current labor offices to carry-out 
the other functions. Inspectors will also be instructed to 
set aside a couple of weeks each year to conduct only child 
labor inspections. The plan also calls for two additional 
workers in the CLU and a small child labor office to be 
created in each inspection office to better coordinate 
efforts. 
 
¶8. (U) Legal remedies available to government entities are 
also not adequate to punish and deter violations. 
 
--Article 77 of the labor law sets out a penalty of 500 
dinars ($700) for the illegal recruitment and employment of 
children. The fine is doubled if the offense is repeated. 
 
--In a diplomatic note dated December 1, 2008, the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs (MFA) informed Post that no child labor 
complaints have yet been received because Article 77 has not 
yet been "activated." Dr. Amin Wreidat, Head of the MOL 
Inspectorate Division, told Poloffs that complaints are not 
received, as neither the employer nor family, who depends on 
the child's income, would file a complaint. 
 
--Some fines have been issued for child labor violations, 
according to Dr. Wreidat; however, the MOL is unable to 
provide the number of citations or the total amount of fines 
because records are not computerized. The $2.7 million, 
5-year USAID-funded Better Work Program intends to help the 
inspectorate install new software that will allow for 
tracking by type of violation. 
 
--Inspectors often handle child labor cases informally 
instead of issuing fines. Dr. Wreidat told Poloffs that the 
law needs to be amended to offer positive solutions not just 
negative punishments. He said that if a fine is issued, the 
employer would only be out a small amount of money but the 
child and his/her family would suffer from the loss of 
income. As a result, inspectors reportedly attempted to 
remove the child from dangerous work, seek agreements with 
the employer to continue the child's education, or find other 
positive solutions and alternatives to loss of income. 
 
Social Programming 
------------------ 
 
¶9. (U) The GOJ supports several initiatives aimed at reducing 
child labor. Questscope, working with the Ministries of 
Education (MOE), Social Development (MOSD), and Labor and 
with support of multiple donors, continues to be the primary 
organization in Jordan working to eliminate child labor by 
providing education opportunities and mentoring to 
out-of-school youth: 
 
--Non-formal Education (NFE) Program: The program, launched 
in 2004, gives out-of-school youth the opportunity to earn a 
10th grade equivalent certificate, which is a requirement for 
applicants to vocational school. The NFE course is divided 
into three, eight-month levels of instruction. The student 
must pass a proficiency exam before moving to the next level. 
There are currently 3,000 children attending 36 NFE centers 
across Jordan, and the DOL child labor project will form 10 
more centers and improve 10 existing centers. The MOE has 
approved NFE as an official education curriculum, and MOE 
officials have indicated a commitment to taking over their 
operation. The MOE is currently operating 13 of the 36 
centers. This and Questscope's other programs are also 
serving Iraqi children. 
 
--Informal Education Program: The first level of NFE 
instruction can be completed through a community-based 
organization (CBO). Questscope has trained seven CBOs to 
teach reading, writing, math, and other basic courses. The 
DOL project will increase the number to 23. After finishing 
the informal education instruction, a child can enter the 
second level of NFE instruction upon passing a proficiency 
exam. The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM)  has provided 
municipal facilities for the CBOs to conduct the classes. 
 
--Mentoring Program: Since 1998, Questscope has implemented a 
program to match out-of-school youth with adult mentors. The 
mentor and child meet regularly for one-on-one meetings as 
well as recreational and education opportunities. To date, 
3,200 volunteer mentors have been trained with 3,100 boys and 
girls mentored. 
 
¶10. (U) The Social Safety Center in Sahab, established by the 
Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) in 
2005, provides non-formal education to working children 
between the ages of 13 and 15. The center also provides 
remedial classes to struggling students to keep them from 
dropping out of school. Five hundred students are enrolled 
but the center's director, Nihaya Dabdoub, states that more 
than 1,500 drop-outs are on a waiting list. The project is 
implemented in coordination with the GAM, the MOL, MOE, and 
the local community and employers. The MOE identified nearly 
2,500 drop-outs in Sahab between 2005 and 2007 and, with the 
help of labor inspectors, the center was able to locate most 
of the students. The center is operating beyond capacity with 
a two-shift system (girls in the morning and boys in the 
afternoon) and is need of larger facilities, including five 
classrooms and a bigger computer lab. 
 
¶11. (U) The Information and Resource Center (IRC) of the King 
Hussein Foundation was established by Queen Noor as the 
National Task Force for Children. Based on child labor 
research, the IRC launched a project in 2007 that provides 
training for CBOs in five targeted communities to address the 
needs of child laborers and provide interventions to address 
child labor. The project receives funding from the EU. 
 
¶12. (U) The National Aid Fund (NAF), which operates Jordan's 
cash assistance programs, does not specifically target 
families of working children, although it does assist 
families that might be highly susceptible to child labor due 
to their poor economic situation. The fund operates several 
programs to support the needy such as the Recurrent Cash 
Assistance Program to assist certain categories of people, 
including families of widows, inmates, and estranged women, 
and the Emergency and Exceptional Program to assist the poor 
in times of specific need, such as illness or death of a 
family member, during Ramadan, and beginning of school year. 
 
¶13. (U) The MOSD operates an anti-vagrancy campaign to 
decrease the number of beggars, including child beggars. 
Child beggars are vulnerable to exploitation by their parents 
and those wanting to hire them. Detained children must be 
picked up by a parent, who must sign an agreement that their 
children will no longer beg. Fines and penalties are not 
given to parents but, if they receive NAF assistance, their 
assistance can be stopped. 
 
The Child Labor Problem in Jordan 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶14. (U) Estimates of the number of working children (ages 
five to 17) vary significantly from around 30,000 to nearly 
100,000. The Department of Statistics (DOS) calculated the 
number to be 32,676, of which 36 percent worked in mechanical 
repair, 27 percent in agriculture, 8 percent in construction, 
and 4 percent in hotels and restaurants. The survey also 
stated that 32 percent lived in Amman, 89 percent were males, 
and 91 percent were Jordanian citizens. (Note: The survey was 
conducted in early 2008 but full results have not yet been 
released). In April, the National Center for Human Rights 
estimated the number to be approximately 50,000. Several 
activists working on child labor issues told Poloff that 
these estimates are too low and did not adequately capture 
reality by failing to survey businesses fully or account for 
families that hide the fact their children work. Questscope 
also disagrees with official numbers and uses the number of 
school-age dropouts, around 90,000, as an indication of how 
many children are at least partially employed. The students 
have pointed to the type of professions (street vendors, 
carpenters, painters, agriculture, and mechanics) and cities 
(Amman, Zarqa, and Irbid) where child labor is more prevalent. 
 
¶15. (U) Economic hardship is seen to be the primary 
contributing factor to child labor along with the quality of 
education. In fact, 66 percent of respondents in the DOS 
survey said a working child was contributing to the overall 
household income and 38 percent listed this fact as the 
primary reason for their child working. Several contacts told 
Poloff that child labor has probably increased slightly in 
the past couple years due to inflation and continued 
difficulties in family members finding employment 
opportunities. The DOS survey also indicated that 85 percent 
of working children dropped out of school between the ages of 
12 and 17. 
 
¶16. (U) The most common risks faced by working children, 
according to a MOL survey on the worst forms of child labor 
released in February 2007, are heavy machinery, noise 
pollution, poor lighting, and exposure to chemicals. The same 
survey estimated that 13 percent of working children are 
subject to forced labor with the average number of hours 
worked per week at 42. Salaries were also significantly lower 
than the minimum wage of 150 JD ($210) per month. The average 
monthly salary among working children was 81 JD ($113) while 
16 percent earned less than 50 JD ($70) per month. 
 
17) (U) Comment: Looking ahead, there are positive signs that 
the GOJ and civil society are committed to reinvigorating 
efforts to combat child labor. GOJ involvement in and 
commitment to the DOL-funded child labor project was cited as 
a source of optimism by many contacts. The project aims to 
withdraw 4,000 children from the worst forms of child labor, 
prevent another 4,000 from entering, increase public 
awareness of the issue, establish a national coordination 
mechanism, and strengthen the ability of national actors to 
fulfill their roles. The MOL's continued effort to improve 
labor inspection capacity and quality and the MOE's 
commitment to adopting and increasing non-formal education 
opportunities are also reasons for optimism. Post will 
continue to engage on and support the above initiatives as 
well as changes to national legislation required to give 
authorities the necessary tools to prevent and deter child 
labor. End Comment 
 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Website at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman 
Beecroft