The country’s human rights record will be scrutinised when the European Union processes Sri Lanka’s application for an extension of the concessions of GSP+ later this year. GSP+ is obviously very important and the government is doing all it can to make the EU understand the present human rights situation in the country, said the Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe. Speaking to the Island Financial Review, Samarasinghe said that his ministry had produced a report containing in detail the current human rights environment of the country. This report will be used by the Ministry of Export Development and International Trade to formulate a consolidated report, to be submitted to the EU. "We hope the EU will see where we really stand despite the complex environment we are in. The report will give a detailed explanation of the current situation and will show the improvements we have made," Samarasinghe said. Sri Lanka has ratified all international conventions on human rights and labour, but recent developments, or deteriorations, of human rights issues have industrialists of the apparel sector growing ever so anxious. The industrialists say that while the apparel industry is in full compliance with all EU requirements, the human rights issue was beyond their control and that it is now up to the government to convince the EU that the country’s human rights record was compliant with international human rights conventions. "From what we heard last, the government has not been able to convince them," an apparel industrialist told the Island Financial Review, complaining that the industry, especially the SME sector, was in the dark with regard to the progress of the ongoing campaign of the government to promote, salvage Sri Lanka’s claims for an extension of GSP+. |
