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RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 6385
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3173
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0039
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RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA 0727
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0176
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RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0461
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RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 2045
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 1085

UNCLAS AMMAN 000383 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP LCDEBACA, DRL/ILCSR SMORGAN, NEA/ELA, AND 
NEA/RA 
LABOR FOR DOL/ILAB LSTROTKAMP, RRIGBY, AND TMCCARTER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI KWMN PGOV JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: INPUT ON FORCED LABOR AND CHILD LABOR FOR 
DOL REPORTS 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 320 
     ¶B. AMMAN 274 
     ¶C. 09 STATE 131995 
     ¶D. 09 AMMAN 2339 
     ¶E. 09 AMMAN 2254 
     ¶F. 09 AMMAN 2074 
     ¶G. 09 AMMAN 2073 
     ¶H. 09 AMMAN 1424 
     ¶I. 09 AMMAN 1179 
     ¶J. 09 AMMAN 856 
     ¶K. 09 AMMAN 706 
     ¶L. 09 AMMAN 459 
     ¶M. 09 AMMAN 429 
     ¶N. 09 AMMAN 242 
     ¶O. 09 AMMAN 230 
     ¶P. 09 AMMAN 189 
 
¶1. (U) Task 1 Summary:  A range of governmental, 
non-governmental, and private sector interlocutors continue 
to inform Post that, as a whole, forced labor in the garment 
sector has significantly decreased, largely due to government 
action.  However, they also state some forced labor 
conditions still appear in a few factories.  These factories 
tend to be small in size and do not produce for U.S. buyers. 
Though little information exists, local organizations 
continue to report some level of child labor in the 
agriculture sector.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Task 2 Summary:  The government has shown a commitment 
to combat child labor and actively participated in a number 
of corresponding initiatives over the past year.  The $4 
million Department of Labor-funded Combating Exploitative 
Child Labor Through Education (CECLE) project has been the 
driving force behind a renewed effort in Jordan to address 
the issue.  CECLE, with its governmental and non-governmental 
partners, have among other things reinvigorated coordination 
mechanisms, strengthened national strategies, reviewed 
legislation, expanded education opportunities for 
out-of-school youth, increased public awareness, and trained 
labor inspectors on child labor.  Most of this work was only 
possible with the technical and financial support of CECLE. 
The government must now simultaneously amend legislation, 
strengthen penalties for employing children, and enhance 
investigations, prosecutions, and convictions for those that 
exploit children.   End Summary. 
 
Task 1: Garment Sector and Forced Labor 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Narrative:  Post has extensively reported on labor 
conditions in the garment sector and government efforts to 
combat trafficking, especially forced labor.  Post has also 
reported on the strong, adverse reaction by government, civil 
society, textile union, and private sector contacts regarding 
the placement of garments from Jordan on the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) listing for 
forced labor (ref D).  These interlocutors believe it is 
currently unfair to label the entire garment sector in such a 
manner, as forced labor-type conditions are now only 
appearing in a small fraction of factories. 
 
¶4. (U) Prevalence:  As Post has previously reported, 
available information suggests that forced labor conditions 
have substantially decreased in the garment sector as a whole 
over the past couple years.  Over the past year, there were a 
few reports of continuing problems, such as the withholding 
of passports and delayed payment of wages, in a couple 
factories, which were small in size and not exporting to the 
U.S. market.  The Ministry of Labor (MOL) and other 
stakeholders, such as the National Center for Human Rights 
(NCHR) and textile union representatives, investigate all 
complaints received and attempt to take corrective action. 
For instance, on February 3, 80 workers of different 
nationalities protested in front of the MOL requesting their 
employer pay three months of back wages.  Their employer, a 
small factory in the Al Tajamouat Industrial Zone, had been 
experiencing financial difficulties.  Even before the 
protest, the MOL took action and closed the factory.  The 
Ministry also reached an agreement with the employer to pay 
back wages via monthly installments.  The MOL is in the 
process of either transferring the foreign workers to another 
factory or arranging repatriation, including waiving any 
overstay fines, based on the preferences of the workers. 
 
¶5. (U) Actions taken by Government:  Post has previously 
reported on the government's significant steps over the past 
few years to eliminate forced labor in the garment sector. 
This work has been widely viewed as a highlight and success 
of U.S.-Jordanian labor engagement.  The government continues 
to consider additional measures.  Most significantly, the 
cabinet is reviewing ways to make the ILO's Better Work 
Jordan Program (BWJ) mandatory for all garment factories. 
Comprehensive assessments would take place in all factories 
allowing for a better understanding of the labor situation 
throughout the sector and would place pressure on the smaller 
factories to improve practices. (Note: Prior to the cabinet 
change in December 2009, the then Minister of Labor was 
scheduled to announce that BWJ would be mandatory for all 
factories.  The new Minister of Labor was recently briefed by 
the Ambassador and the ILO on the program and why it should 
be mandatory.  The decision is now pending with Jordan's 
recently-appointed cabinet.  End Note.) 
 
Task 1: Fruits and Vegetables and Exploitative Child Labor 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Narrative:   As reported in 2008, several local 
organizations state there is an element of exploitative child 
labor in the agriculture sector, including in fruit and 
vegetable harvesting and picking (ref P).  The primary form 
of child labor in the production of agricultural goods, 
according to these organizations, consists of children 
working on family farms.  Since 2008, at least two 
organizations have also documented the use of children from 
migrant families in the production of agriculture goods.  For 
instance, the NCHR has received reports of "numerous" Syrian 
children working alongside their families in northern Jordan. 
 NCHR is currently investigating these reports, including the 
death of two Syrian child laborers, allegedly due to poor 
drinking water at their employment site. 
 
¶7. (U) Prevalence:  As was the case in 2008, the prevalence 
of exploitative child labor, whether Jordanian or foreign, in 
the production of agricultural goods is very difficult to 
determine.  There is a severe lack of data and corroborative 
information.  Contacts primarily point to anecdotal 
information but do not have specific data on the number of 
child laborers in the sector or an informed idea of how many 
may be exploited.  A 2008 Jordanian Department of Statistics 
(DOS) child labor survey gives some minimal insight.  Its 
survey found that 27.3 percent of all child laborers are 
employed in agriculture; second after retail (36.3 percent). 
The survey further found that 77 percent of underage female 
laborers were in the agriculture sector.  These figures, 
however, do not indicate specific conditions or challenges 
faced by child laborers in this sector, whether exploitation 
is occurring, the overall number of child laborers, or the 
prevalence rates, such as percentage of farms using child 
labor. 
 
¶8. (U) Actions taken by the government:  As described under 
Task 2, the government, with support from CECLE, has taken 
several actions to address child labor; however, Post is not 
aware of any actions specifically targeted at the agriculture 
sector to date. 
 
Task 2: Input for Child Labor Report 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶9. (U) (2A) In the Jordanian economy, children work in 
mechanical repair, agriculture and fishing, construction, and 
hotels and restaurants, as well as in the informal sector as 
street vendors, carpenters, blacksmiths, domestic workers, 
painters, and in small family businesses.  NGOs and the 
government report no significant shifts in sectors employing 
child labor over the past year but believe that the number of 
child laborers has generally increased due primarily to 
Jordan's continued poor economic conditions and high 
unemployment. 
 
¶10. (U) (2A) The last government study on child labor was the 
DOS survey completed in 2008.  DOL/ILAB has a copy of the 
report, but Post will engage the DOS to determine willingness 
to release the dataset.  The MOL released a survey on the 
worst forms of child labor in February 2007.  The report is 
available on the MOL website (www.mol.gov.jo).  Results of 
both surveys were reported in last year's input cable (ref 
O). 
 
¶11. (U) (2B) The government did not enact any new laws or 
regulations over the past year explicitly related to 
exploitive child labor, though it did pass a new 
anti-trafficking law (paras 12-13).  A National Legislative 
Review Team, assembled by CECLE and consisting of 
governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, conducted a 
wide ranging review of existing statutes and developed a list 
of recommended legal and regulatory amendments.  These 
recommendations cover a number of laws and regulations, such 
as the Law of Service Personnel in the Armed Forces, Penal 
Code, Labor Law, Law of Education, Juvenile Law, and Social 
Security Law.  Based on the recommendations, CECLE signed a 
Memorandum of Understanding with the government bodies 
responsible for each law or regulation requiring amendment. 
Post will e-mail the recommended legal and regulatory changes 
to DOL. 
 
¶12. (U) (2B) On March 31, 2009, a new anti-trafficking law 
came into effect, prohibiting trafficking-in-persons for both 
forced labor and sexual exploitation.  "Crimes of TIP" are 
defined in the law as the recruitment, transportation, and 
harboring of individual(s) by means of the threat or use of 
force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, 
deception, or abuse of power for the purpose of exploitation. 
 In addition to defining punishments, the law established a 
National Committee to Combat TIP, provided for legal 
protection of victims, and stated that one or more shelters 
may be created based on the committee's recommendation.  The 
anti-TIP law stipulates a punishment of up to ten years in 
prison with hard labor for the following offenses, whether 
sexual exploitation or labor: 
 
- If the person trafficked is under 18 years of age; 
- If the person has established, organized, or managed an 
organized criminal group for human trafficking; 
- If the victims include females or persons with 
disabilities; 
- If the crime involves exploitation in prostitution, any 
other form of sexual exploitation, or organ removal; 
- If the act is committed by threat or use of a weapon; 
- If the crime causes the victim to suffer chronic incurable 
disease; 
- If the person is a relative of the victim; 
- If the person is a public official and committed the crime 
by abusing his/her office; 
- If the crime is transnational in nature. 
 
¶13. (U) (2B) The anti-TIP law prescribes a punishment for 
other human trafficking crimes of at least six months and/or 
a fine of not less than $1,400 (1,000 JD) and not more than 
$7,000 (5,000 JD).  The law also stipulates a minimum 
sentence of six months for any person who knew about the 
crime by virtue of his/her job and did not notify officials. 
Any person who hid or disposed of evidence shall be 
imprisoned for no more than on one year or receive a fine of 
not less than $280 (200 JD) and not more than $1,400 (1,000 
JD).  The national TIP committee is also given the authority 
to close businesses for human trafficking violations and can 
confiscate related profits.  The law does not prevent stiffer 
penalties through the application of other legislation.  Post 
will place the anti-TIP law on its intranet site. 
 
¶14. (U) (2B)  While a number of laws seek to prevent child 
labor and punish those who exploit or employ children, the 
legal and regulatory framework was not yet sufficient to 
effectively address exploitive child labor.  Available legal 
remedies and punishments to deter violations and punish 
violators were not adequately strong.  The labor law sets out 
a penalty of only 500 dinars ($700) for the illegal 
recruitment and employment of children.  The fine is supposed 
to be doubled if the offense is repeated.  Labor inspectors 
did issue fines during the year but, in many cases, tried to 
handle the case informally with both the employer and family. 
 For instance, inspectors would obtain guarantees that the 
child not work in hazardous positions and be allowed to 
either attend informal, non-formal, or formal education. 
Inspectors admit that the small value fine can be easily paid 
by most employers while often the child's family cannot 
afford the loss of income.  In some instances, other 
legislation can be used to punish those exploiting children 
for labor, such as the new anti-trafficking law and penal 
code, but they were not used in such a manner during the year. 
 
¶15. (U) (2C) The primary agency responsible for the 
enforcement of laws related to hazardous and forced child 
labor is the MOL.  The MOL's Child Labor Unit (CLU) is tasked 
with coordinating government action regarding child labor. 
The CLU, however, is currently staffed by two people, who are 
not sufficiently empowered to direct labor inspections or 
coordinate efforts across ministries.  UNICEF conducted an 
assessment of the CLU during the year and developed 
recommendations to expand the CLU's capabilities.  These 
recommendations are still being discussed between UNICEF and 
the MOL but include measures to strengthen the unit's 
capacity and raise its profile.  All labor inspectors are 
tasked with identifying child labor and enforcing child labor 
provisions in the labor law as part of their normal 
inspection activities.  However, 10 labor inspectors were 
appointed during the year to act as regional leads on child 
labor and to work with government and non-government partners 
to solve cases.  The Public Security Department (PSD) is 
tasked with assisting in the investigation of cases 
punishable by non-labor law statutes, such as trafficking 
labor offenses.  The MOL and PSD are in the process of 
establishing a TIP investigation unit, which could be used to 
investigate child forced labor. 
 
¶16. (U) (2C) A National Committee to Combat Child Labor is 
being reinvigorated through CECLE.  The committee is headed 
by the Ministry of Labor and comprises 13 governmental and 
non-governmental bodies with a stake in prevention, 
enforcement, or protection.  Until now, the exchange of 
information between all such stakeholders has been severely 
lacking and, as such, the committee's first goal is to 
identify ways to better share information and coordinate 
efforts and resources. 
 
¶17. (U) (2C) The government does not operate an effective 
mechanism to receive complaints about hazardous and forced 
child labor violations.  The MOL operates a hotline which has 
primarily been used by foreign domestic workers and textile 
workers to report abuse and violations.  The MOL plans to 
expand the hotline so that citizens can report any type of 
labor complaint, including child labor.  The hotline was not 
widely advertised to the general public during the year but 
the MOL has plans to highlight the phone number in awareness 
campaigns and brochures.  Citizens made a few direct calls 
with child labor-related complaints and information to the 
inspectorate during the year.  The inspectorate did not keep 
a record of such calls received but contends that every 
complaint was investigated.  The MOL recently signed an 
agreement with the Jordan River Foundation, a large local NGO 
working in a number of areas including child and youth 
programs, to refer child labor cases to the MOL. 
 
¶18. (U) (2C) The MOL increased the number of labor inspectors 
nearly three-fold since 2006 to 140.  The MOL has received 
funds for an additional 35 inspectors and is currently 
interviewing candidates.  The head of the labor inspectorate 
states that his organization will soon be able to adequately 
cover all sectors (see para 19 for more details).  The 
government focused inspection efforts on some sectors, such 
as the garment sector, which has reportedly resulted in a 
significant decrease in forced labor allegations in this 
sector.  (Note: Only a handful of garment factory workers 
have been found to be under 18; therefore, the reduction of 
forced labor cases involves adults.  End Note.) The major 
gap, however, is the inability of inspectors to cover the 
agriculture sector.  In 2008, agriculture workers were placed 
under the labor law after which the MOL started to develop 
by-laws for the sector.  These by-laws have not yet been 
approved by Jordan's cabinet.  Once approved, the 
inspectorate will have the authority to also cover farms and 
agricultural businesses. 
 
¶19. (U) (2C) The government increased funding to the labor 
inspectorate over the last several years resulting in an 
increased number of inspectors and resources, such as 
facilities and vehicles.  The inspectorate conducted over 
176,000 on-the-spot and planned investigations during the 
year with the number expected to increase with additional 
inspectors.  The inspectorate continues to work on a database 
and management system that will allow them to better plan 
inspections and determine coverage.  The head of the labor 
inspectorate believes they will soon have 50 percent coverage 
of all businesses each year.  Government funding is adequate 
to cover current inspection operations.  However, resources 
are needed to complete the planned restructuring of the Child 
Labor Unit and to conduct planned trafficking-in-persons 
programs, such as a shelter, public awareness campaigns, and 
assistance to the joint labor-police inspector unit. 
Jordan's budget deficit has increased substantially, which is 
likely to make the provision of additional resources 
difficult. 
 
¶20. (U) (2C) There are no labor inspectors dedicated to child 
labor.  Instead, each labor inspector is required to cover 
four areas during inspections; child labor, labor relations, 
occupation safety and health, and the general labor 
situation. While conducting routine and random inspections, 
inspectors found 375 child laborers in 2009.  All 375 
children were assisted and referred to services, particularly 
to informal and non-formal education opportunities.  These 
cases were largely found in small businesses, such as 
mechanic shops and restaurants (ref A). 
 
¶21. (U) (2C) The government did not prosecute any child labor 
offenses during the year.  The labor inspectorate issued 
fines of up to 500 dinars ($700) per violation but no 
criminal charges or court action was taken against any of the 
offenders.  The labor inspectorate fined 33 businesses for 
child labor during the year.  Other businesses were warned 
and ordered to take corrective action.  The anti-trafficking 
law was used to prosecute cases of organ trafficking, selling 
of children, and forced labor of a domestic worker during the 
year. 
 
¶22. (U) (2C) CECLE has trained 48 labor inspectors on the 
identification and handling of child labor cases and plans to 
train the remaining inspectors in the coming year.  The 
police did not conduct any child labor-related training for 
its officers during the year.  The labor inspectorate has 
requested exchange programs with experienced inspectorates 
that have successfully dealt with child labor. 
 
¶23. (U) (2D) The government took active steps the past year 
to generally combat TIP, such as the passage of the 
anti-trafficking law, development of a national strategy, and 
increased investigations.  These efforts, however, were 
either general in-nature or targeted at specific sectors, 
such as the garment sector and domestic workers.  There were 
no specific activities, initiatives, or programs dedicated 
specifically to child trafficking or commercial sexual 
exploitation of children. 
 
¶24. (U) (2E) The National Committee to Combat Child Labor is 
currently developing a National Framework to Combat Child 
Labor.  The framework will build on the 2004 National 
Strategy for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child 
Labor.  Implementation of the 2004 strategy has been 
extremely weak due in large part to a lack of effective 
coordination and government capacity.  As a result, the 
framework will focus on stakeholder information sharing and 
available resources, both governmental and non-governmental, 
to address child labor.  A workshop to discuss the framework 
is planned for February with its completion scheduled for 
April. 
 
¶25. (U) (2E) The government included child labor in several 
national development and reform-related action plans. 
Jordan's National Agenda 2006-2015, the primary guide for 
political and economic reform, includes a goal to eliminate 
the worst forms of child labor.  Additionally, the Jordanian 
National Plan of Action for Children 2004-2013 aims to 
eliminate the worst forms of child labor by 2014 and to 
decrease the overall number of child laborers.  These action 
plans were not tied to specific amounts in the national 
budget but were meant to act as a guideline when establishing 
government priorities and programs.  Ministries, however, 
allocated funds from their own budgets to implement 
activities aimed at child labor, such as the Ministry of 
Education's (MOE) operation of non-formal education centers 
for out-of-school youth, the MOL's inspection operations, and 
the Ministry of Social Development's (MOSD) campaign to stop 
child begging.  Additionally, as described in paragraphs 
28-31, the government provided non-monetary support to 
specific activities aimed to prevent or reduce child labor. 
 
¶26. (U) (2E) The National Committee to Combat Child Labor was 
reinvigorated over the past year.  CECLE was the driving 
force behind the increased level of cooperation and, moving 
forward, a focus must be placed on institutionalizing and 
sustaining the committee. 
 
¶27. (U) (2E) Jordan ratified and published the Palermo 
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish 
Trafficking-in-Persons in the Official Gazette on April 30, 
¶2009.  The government also signed a bi-lateral agreement with 
Indonesia and Sri Lanka to better regulate the recruitment of 
migrant workers and define the role of each government in the 
process.  While not specifically an agreement to combat 
trafficking, ineffective regulation and oversight of the 
recruitment process and recruitment agencies significantly 
increases the likelihood of forced labor.  A new agreement 
with the Philippines has also reportedly been completed but 
not yet signed. (Note: This effort is primarily targeted at 
the domestic worker sector though stronger recruitment 
regulation and oversight could reduce the number of underage 
women arriving in Jordan to work as domestic workers. 
Jordanian recruitment agencies can legally recruit domestic 
workers only from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. 
End Note.) 
 
¶28. (U) (2F) The GOJ implements and supports several 
initiatives aimed at reducing child labor.  Government and 
civil society continue to focus their effort on increasing 
education and mentoring opportunities to out-of-school youth 
and child laborers.  Questscope, an international NGO, in 
partnership with the MOE, MOSD, and MOL continues to be the 
primary organization providing education programs to 
out-of-school youth.  Questscope's programs are being 
expanded under CECLE, which are described below: 
 
--Non-formal Education (NFE) Program: Gives out-of-school 
youth the opportunity to earn a 10th grade equivalent 
certificate, which is a requirement for applicants to attend 
vocational school.  There are currently over 3,000 children 
attending 39 NFE centers across Jordan.  CECLE intends to 
develop another 7 centers.  The MOE has approved NFE as an 
official education curriculum, and the MOE continued to take 
over the operation of NFE centers. 
 
--Informal Education Program:  The first level of NFE 
instruction can be completed through a community-based 
organization (CBO).  CECLE aims to increase the number of 
CBOs providing informal education from 7 to 23.  To date, 19 
CBOs are providing these services. After finishing the 
informal education instruction, a child can enter the second 
level of NFE instruction upon passing a proficiency exam. 
 
--Mentoring Program:  Questscope continues to implement 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 for recreational and education opportunities. 
 
¶29. (U) (2F) The government also participates in other child 
labor eradication programs.  At the forefront is the Social 
Safety Center in Sahab in eastern Amman, which is currently 
providing non-formal education to over 500 working children 
between the ages of 13 and 15.  The center, established by 
the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) in 
2005, also provides remedial classes to struggling students 
to keep them from dropping out of school.  The center 
continues to experience a long wait list for their programs. 
The project works closely with the Greater Amman 
Municipality, MOL, MOE, and employers to identify and refer 
child laborers. 
 
¶30. (U) (2F) As described throughout this cable, the 
government has been actively engaged in the implementation of 
CECLE.  Other CECLE initiatives not already described and 
that include government participation are: 
 
-- Public awareness:  CECLE is implementing several 
activities to increase public awareness on child labor, 
including the development of an action plan with the MOE 
targeting students, training of journalists, airing of TV and 
radio public service announcements, placement of 
advertisements in newspapers, and training teachers and CBOs 
to use music, drama, and other mediums to increase awareness. 
 
 
-- Teacher manual:  CECLE with the MOE is developing a 
teacher manual with sample teaching materials.  The manual 
will outline problems associated with child labor and include 
such topics as effective counseling to prevent school 
drop-outs. 
 
-- Psycho-social study:  The National Council for Family 
Affairs in cooperation with the World Health Organization and 
the Ministry of Health will conduct a study in five 
governorates on the psychological, medical, and social impact 
of child labor. 
 
¶31. (U) (2F) CECLE is working with partner community-based 
organizations and the labor inspectorate to develop a list of 
assistance and funding opportunities for families of child 
laborers in an effort to remove children from the workplace. 
A primary source of funding for such families is the National 
Aid Fund (NAF), which operates Jordan's cash assistance 
programs.  Until now, NAF has not specifically targeted 
families of working children but did assist families that 
might be highly susceptible to child labor due to their poor 
economic situation.  The NAF has agreed to partner with CECLE 
and its partners to offer either direct assistance or 
low-cost loans to families of child laborers.  The type of 
assistance will largely be determined by a family's economic 
situation.  CECLE will also create linkages with other 
mechanisms, including micro-loan facilities. 
 
¶32. (U) (2G) Comment:  The government has shown commitment 
over the past year to combat child labor.  They have also 
taken active steps to strengthen national strategies and 
coordination mechanisms, build the know-how of national 
actors to fulfill their roles, and improve education 
opportunities for out-of-school youth.  Many of these efforts 
were a direct result of and only made possible by CECLE.  The 
government and civil society remain optimistic that these 
measures will be expanded over the remaining life of the 
project.  CECLE stakeholders must focus on sustainability to 
ensure that the mechanisms and capacity built will continue 
long after the project.  Separate from CECLE, the government 
must also place greater emphasis on investigating, 
prosecuting, and punishing those found to exploit children. 
There was little to no progress in this area over the past 
year. Post will continue to work closely with CECLE and DOL 
to push the government to take needed action, such as 
enacting the recommended changes to national legislation and 
giving authorities the necessary tools to prevent and deter 
child labor.  End Comment. 
Beecroft