AMMAN, June 7, 2025 – – The Jordanian Senate has approved key amendments to Cooperative Law No. 18 of 1997, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to modernise its cooperative legislation and to better align it with international standards.
The reform, which was earlier passed by the Lower House, reflects a renewed national commitment to strengthening the cooperative sector as a driver of decent work, productivity, and inclusive economic development.
“The 2025 Cooperatives Law aligns with international standards,” said Khaled Hneifat, Jordan’s Minister of Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of the Jordan Cooperative Corporation. “It meets the needs of cooperative work by ensuring proper governance, decent working conditions, and new tools to empower cooperatives—particularly in financing and training. It also allows foreign cooperatives to open branches in Jordan.”
The revised law integrates the internationally recogniSed definition and principles of cooperatives, as outlined in ILO Recommendation No. 193 and the International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] Statement on the Cooperative Identity. It explicitly upholds the cooperative principles of voluntary and open membership; democratic member control; member economic participation; autonomy and independence; education, training and information; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community.
For the first time, the Jordan Cooperative Corporation [JCC] Board of Directors will include equal representation: six representatives from the government and six from the cooperative movement—at least three of whom must be women—ensuring that cooperative voices are actively involved in policy and legislative reform.
“The new law represents a qualitative leap for the Jordanian cooperative sector,” said Abdul Fattah Al-Shalabi, Director General of the Jordan Cooperative Corporation. “It strengthens women’s participation in decision-making, encourages youth to establish cooperatives, and seeks to include persons with disabilities in society. We see this law as a fresh start toward a pioneering and effective cooperative movement, and as one of the key outcomes of the National Strategy for the 2021–2025 Jordanian Cooperative Movement.”
The amendments also provide for the establishment of two new institutional mechanisms within JCC:
- a Cooperative Development Fund, which will coordinate all loan and grant financing for cooperatives; and
- a Cooperative Development Institute, responsible for delivering training, research, advisory services, and communication support to cooperatives.
Bylaws governing these new entities are currently under development.
“We welcome this reform as a key step toward empowering cooperatives and advancing social justice in Jordan,” said Amal Mowafy, International Labour Oragnisation [ILO] Country Coordinator in Jordan. “Through the PROSPECTS programme, the ILO supported the legislative revision and will continue helping align the broader regulatory framework with international standards, while supporting the JCC and national partners in fully implementing the cooperative strategy. This builds on previous efforts when the ILO helped national partners develop the National Cooperative Strategy and laid the groundwork for future reforms to make cooperatives more inclusive, member-driven, and responsive to the needs of women, youth, and refugees.”
The National Strategy was coordinated by a multi-stakeholder steering committee comprising representatives from key ministries, social partners, the cooperative movement, and subject-matter experts. The strategy lays out a five-year vision to strengthen Jordan’s cooperative ecosystem through:
- Creating a conducive environment for cooperative development
- Establishing an efficient support infrastructure for cooperatives and unions
- Fostering autonomous, self-reliant cooperatives capable of delivering quality services to their members
The ILO, which has supported cooperative development for over a century, regards cooperatives as key instruments for advancing social justice. In Jordan, the ILO has worked closely with the cooperative movement and will continue supporting efforts to create livelihood opportunities for Jordanians, refugees, and migrant women and men—particularly in the agricultural sector and, increasingly, in other areas of the economy.
The PROSPECTS partnership, supported by the Government of the Netherlands, brings together the International Finance Corporation [IFC], the ILO, the UN Refugee Agency [UNHCR], the UN Children’s Fund [UNICEF], and the World Bank to transform how stakeholders—including governments and the private sector—respond to forced displacement crises.
https://thecooperator.news/undp-and-carrefour-jordan-collaborate-to-support-cooperatives-in-jordan/
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