ISLAMABAD: The prerequisites for GSP+ include implementation of 27 international human rights conventions and the country must take a cautious approach in this regard, said European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Jean-Francois Cautain on Thursday.

Speaking at the ‘GSP+ in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges’ conference, hosted by Democracy Reporting International (DRI), he said that under the GSP+ conditions, Pakistan has to comply with all the 27 human rights conventions and these would be beneficial for the country in the long run.

The EU mission in the country collects and compiles data regarding Pakistan’s compliance to these conventions which will be forwarded to the EU parliament on Jan 1, 2016.

“The case will be taken up by the EU parliament and the decision to extend or suspend the programme to Pakistan will be decided after hearings from the Pakistani delegation,” Cautain said.

He said that compliance conditions include acceptance without reservations, maintaining ratification and taking steps for the effective implementation of all the conventions.

“Though abolishing death penalty is not directly linked with the GSP+ status, the concerns have been to ensure transparency and fair justice in this regard,” he added.

Later, talking to media, Cautain said that the request by the EU to have observers in military courts has been turned down. He further added that this move was not directly linked with Pakistan’s GSP+ review.

While denying that Pakistan was currently in the red zone with regards to extension of GSP+ status, he added: “The human rights situation in Pakistan is a matter of concern to the EU.”

Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan highlighted that Pakistan’s exports to the EU have increased by more than 33 per cent since the GSP+ facility was extended to it.

“Pakistan is the only country which has made institutional arrangements and created a Treaty Implementation Cell to ensure compliance to international commitments,” the minister said.

Chairman National Commission for Human Rights, Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan stressed that the government should inquire why the conventions were not implemented.

He opined that child labour was a different issue as it was directly linked with poverty and could not be banished at once.

However, Dr Kaiser Bengali, economist and adviser to Balochistan’s chief minister, said that Pakistan’s approach towards GSP+ was not sustainable.

“The first and foremost rationale to be noted is that this facility is not merely for industrialists — the GSP+ should benefit the labour as well,” he said.

“Labourers were denied their legal benefits under the Essential Services Act which relates to specific industries. There is another law that if any company operates in more than one province than the provincial law will not apply to it — but the federal labour laws are too weak,” he said. Labour laws are not applicable in Free Trade Zones, he added.

He commented that if Pakistan wanted to improve its human right record, it has to improve its justice system first.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2015

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