Social Development Ministry to introduce regulations protecting juvenile labour rights

AMMAN — The Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) is working to introduce regulations to protect the rights of juvenile workers.

“The MoSD, along with other local governmental and non-governmental agencies, are finalising regulations that are meant to protect the rights of juvenile labourers,” a senior government official said.

This is the first regulation to be put in place that stipulates the formation of a national committee to protect juvenile rights and safety, the official source told The Jordan Times.

The regulations will be listed in Article 47 in the Juvenile Law of 2014, the official source added.

The regulations will form an effective legal framework to protect children, prevent their exploitation and coordinate efforts among service providers, according to the official source.

The regulation will also provide a foundation for dealing with cases of the exploitation of a juvenile, ensuring that their best interests are always taken into account and their rights and desires are respected, not “discriminating” against them, the official added.

The Director of the Phenix Centre for Economics and Informatics Studies (PCEIS), Ahmad Awad, said that the development of the regulations is “a major step forward” in protecting juveniles’ rights.

He told The Jordan Times that “the most important matter is for these regulations to cope with international measures relating to child protection rights”.

“We are hopeful that the government will work on ensuring the application of the law and to have the capacity among government agencies to apply the articles of the regulation to ensure full juvenile protection rights,” Awad added.

Tamkeen Organisation Director Linda Kalash welcomed the news of the regulations, but echoed Awad regarding their application.

“The presence of any legislation or regulation in the law to protect juvenile rights is extremely important,” Kalash told The Jordan Times.

However, Kalash maintained, the question always revolves around the how seriously such regulations are applied. 

“Will the relevant institutions have enough human power to ensure that the entities are not violating the juvenile’s rights and safety?” Kalash questioned.

In addition, Kalash also questioned the follow-up methods in the case of violations committed against juveniles in the workplace.

“It is of extreme importance to include a follow-up procedure once a case is discovered to ensure that the juvenile is back to his or her safe and secure environment,” Kalash added.