Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee traveled to Jordan as the first senior U.S. Department of Labor official to visit in more than 20 years.

While there, she met with business, labor and government leaders to discuss how the two countries can work together to advance workers’ rights in the Middle Eastern kingdom, according to a Nov. 2 news release.

“Jordan’s commitment in the last decades to transparently combat harassment and forced labor and promote greater worker representation creates a strong basis for future progress,” Lee said, according to the release.

She joined Jordan Secretary General of LaborFarouq Al-Hadid and others as they emphasized the progress Jordan has made to improve protections for the country’s garment industry, including migrant workers, the release reported.

The country renewed its commitment to keep garment supply chains free from labor abuses such as dangerous and unhealthy working conditions, according to the release. U.S. and Jordan officials also spoke about how important greater inclusion of women in the economy and protecting workers’ rights like collective bargaining and freedom of association are to fostering good work standards and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

Efforts like her Oct. 31-Nov. 1 visit are central to the Biden administration’s worker-centered trade policy, she said, the release reported.

The U.S. looks forward to keeping the positive momentum going to enable workers in both countries can collectively bargain for good jobs and working conditions through independent and democratic unions, Lee said, according to the release.