Amman, July 19 (Petra) – The Jordan Cooperative Corporation (JCC) on Sunday inaugurated an eight-day training-of-trainers program organized in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO) under the title "Think.COOP and Start.COOP." The program brings together representatives of ministries, government institutions, and organizations supporting cooperatives.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director General of the JCC Abdel Fattah Shalabi said cooperatives constitute a people-centered social and solidarity economic model that promotes economic growth, improves quality of life, and strengthens community participation in comprehensive sustainable development.

He said the Hashemite leadership’s vision for developing the cooperative sector was reflected in His Majesty King Abdullah II’s directives to support cooperatives in Badia and remote areas, enabling them to establish productive projects, create jobs, and improve livelihoods.

Shalabi highlighted the importance of cooperation with the ILO, which has contributed to several initiatives to advance the sector, including the National Strategy for the Jordanian Cooperative Movement and international training programs adapted to the Jordanian context.

He said the program aims to equip employees supporting cooperatives with training and knowledge-transfer skills, helping sustain cooperatives’ contribution to development and improve services provided to the sector.

ILO representative Samer Rawashdeh said the JCC-ILO partnership spans eight years and includes joint work on the National Strategy for the Jordanian Cooperative Movement for 2021–2025. He said efforts to develop the sector focus on three areas: cooperative legislation and implementation policies, technical training to strengthen institutional capacity, and the establishment of implementing bodies for financing and training.

Rawashdeh added that the program’s diverse participation from government and civil society organizations would help expand cooperative awareness and highlight cooperatives’ economic and social importance, in line with ILO Recommendation No. 193 on promoting cooperatives’ role in development.

//Petra// AO