WPO hosts packaging training in Jordan

The first packaging training program of WPO (World Packaging Organisation) in 2019 was organized in Amman, Jordan on March 3-7, with total support of local member, JoPack (Jordan National Packaging Center), represented by its Executive Director, Sujud Al-Balawneh, and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization).

WPO hosts packaging training in Jordan

‘The purpose was to increase and develop professional knowledge and competency of packaging industries´ employees, other professionals in related industries and also university students,’ states WPO vice president education, Aslihan Arikan, from Turkey.

The five days regional packaging technology training in Amman joined 23 delegates across Jordan, Palestine, Oman, Morocco, Egypt and Lebanon. The trainer, WPO Ambassador Kishan Singh, from South Africa, covered the entire spectrum of packaging technology.

‘The delegates from different Arabic countries seemed very keen to learn as much as they could regarding packaging. There were numerous questions, discussions and complete delegate participation,’ said Kishan. WPO vice president conferences, exhibitions and awards, Soha Atallah, from Lebanon, was also present during WPO activities in Jordan.

According to UNIDO, ‘the training in Jordan falls under a joint capacity of building interventions, aiming at strengthening the packaging industry in member state countries through enhancing innovation and technology transfer.’

For this reason, the program was complete and covered a number of topics, including the functions of packaging, packaging materials and machinery, labelling and intelligent packaging, addressing global packaging challenges and highlighting the latest technologies. The program also supported knowledge transfer, foster packaging innovation and enhance synergies and collaboration among countries of the region.

WPO training in Jordan was part of a number of interventions UNIDO is implementing under its ‘Enhancement of regional trade capacities in food through harmonized regional conformity assessment and food safety systems.’ It is called SAFE, a Sida funded project implememented by UNIDO. Those interventions are build on UNIDO’s successful track record in packaging and are implemented in close partnership with WPO.

The partnership between UNIDO and WPO dates from November 2017 when the parts concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation to provide tailored packaging interventions in three main strategic areas of cooperation: development and implementation of specialized training and capacity building programs on packaging; setting-up national packaging centers; and promotion and organization of student and industry packaging competitions.