As the European Union (EU) concerns over human rights violations in Pakistan increases, the government decides to initiate efforts, before the GSP Plus Review, to be held in September, to clear the misperception by taking EU members and non government organizations (NGOs) into confidence.
This was decided at a meeting of the Treaty Implementation Cell chaired by the Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan and attended by Advisor to Prime Minister on Law, Ashtar Ausaf Ali, representatives of Ministry Foreign Affairs, Law, Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Climate Change, Anti Narcotics Force, FIA and Provincial Law Departments.
It was decided that the Ministry of Commerce will establish GSP Plus Support Mechanism Unit which will partner with the private sector and NGOs working in the field of human rights to project the initiatives taken to better the human rights record in Pakistan. The ministry will also train officials in the provincial law, human rights, minorities, women rights and other relevant departments to compile achievements made at the legislative front in the human rights.
The ministry will also initiate an intense lobbying diplomacy in EU. The minister and secretary will hold meetings with the members of European Parliament and European Commission to portray the benefits of the GSP Plus for Pakistan. They will also apprise them of the brisk pace of legislative reforms in the field of human rights undertaken by all the constituent units of Pakistan.
Last year, Prime Minister established a Treaty Implementation Cell which is headed by Ashtar Ausaf Ali to oversee the implementation of UN Conventions on human rights in all the constituent units of Pakistan. The Commerce Ministry is in close coordination with the EU as well as with its 28 member countries individually to get their support to enhance Pakistan’s exports to EU countries.
The minister informed the meeting that GSP Plus status has a positive effect on the industrial sector. The trickle-down effect of the trade incentives are reaching the lowest tiers of workers which will effectively result in youth and women empowerment in the country. He was of the view since the implementation of GSP Plus, the EU was noticed positively in Pakistan for its support in facilitating exports.
Pakistan’s inclusion in the EU GSP Plus scheme offers immense benefits in terms of increase in exports. It is estimated an overall growth of almost 15 percent in Pakistan’s exports to EU but the growth in exports since the implementation of GSP Plus has been around 21 percent.
