Assessing the Jordan Compact One Year On: An Opportunity or a Barrier to Better Achieving Refugees’ Right to Work

The international community can play a key role in assisting states to achieve the right to work for refugees. For example, they can provide financial and technical support to host states as well as influencing a more enabling legal and policy environment. The recent Jordan Compact agreed between Jordan and the international community in February 2016 is an example of the sphere of that influence. Such bilateral agreements between refugee-hosting states and donor states, regional blocs or the international community are an increasing occurrence, providing enormous resources and support for improving the socio-economic lives of refugees. Yet, to date, there has been no analysis of these compacts from the perspective of international human rights law and specifically the right to work for refugees. This article attempts to fill that gap. Drawing on international human rights law and using the Jordan Compact as a case study, it examines the extent to which such agreements can be an effective tool in better achieving refugees’ right to work.