civil society dialogue - trade.ec.europa.eu · georgia good governance conventions (2016 gsp+...

Civil Society Dialogueon the Generalised Scheme of

Preferences Plus (GSP+)

Brussels, 12 July 2017

Disclaimer

• This presentation is not a legal document and has been prepared exclusively for information purposes. This should not be used by any party as a basis for any decisions with legal implications. The exclusive legal basis for GSP is Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Welcome

Marc Giacomini, Director, EEASSandra Gallina, Director, DG TRADE

Discussions per GSP+ beneficiary

Order of discussions

• Armenia• Pakistan• Cabo Verde• Georgia• Mongolia

• Break 13:00-14:30

• Sri Lanka• Philippines• Kyrgyzstan• Bolivia• Paraguay

• Any Other Business

Armenia

Human Rights Conventions (2016 GSP+ Report)

•Adoption of legislative proposals, strategies, action plans and similar initiatives•Efforts to involve civil society and consult international and regional expertise•Increasing public awareness of international human rights conventions•Step up efforts: lack of independent judiciary, insufficient legislative and enforcement framework against use of torture and ill treatment, corruption, discrimination against minorities and women, child poverty

Questions:•What are your key priorities as regards human rights?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?

Armenia

Labour Rights Conventions (2016 GSP+ Report)

•Actions taken to reduce child labour•Step up efforts: freedom of association for employers and workers, effective labour inspection, institutional and enforcement framework concerning anti-discrimination and equality

Questions:•What are your key priorities as regards labour rights?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?

Environment/Climate Conventions (2016 GSP+ Report)

•Introduction of specific legislation on air, water, nature protection•Satisfactory reporting on Basel, CBD and Stockholm Conventions•Implementation of Montreal Protocol, UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol progressing•Step up efforts: general/framework environmental law, CITES national legislation

Questions:•What are your key priorities as regards environmental protection / climate change?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?

Armenia

Armenia

Good Governance Conventions (2016 GSP+ Report)

•Strengthened capacity of the government to address drug trafficking, related corruption, violence•Decrease of drug-related crimes•Increase of drug addiction treatment resources•Step up efforts: improve implementation and enforcement of anti-corruption legislation, protection of whistle-blowers

Questions:•What are your key priorities as regards good governance issues?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?


•Progress in strengthening institutional framework for human rights (NCHR, TICs), and legislation protect rights of children and women. Submitted all outstanding UN country reports.•Serious situation remains on rights of women, death penalty, use of military courts, torture, EJKs and enforced disappearances, rights of minorities, protection of journalists and human rights defenders.•Lack of capacity and awareness. Devolution of powers to provinces creates challenges and opportunities.

Questions:•What are your key priorities as regards Human Rights?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?

Pakistan


•Considerable and increasing efforts to improve labour rights across country. Better dialogue and cooperation between social partners.•Much more efforts needed to address considerable gender inequalities, bonded labour, child labour, freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Questions:•What are your key priorities as regards Labour Rights?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?

Pakistan

Environmental Protection and Climate Change Conventions (2016 GSP+ Report)

•Reasonable efforts to implement MEAs and increased awareness climate change.•Capacity constraints continue, e.g. Cartagena, devolution to provinces.•CITES: need amend legislation to fully meet requirements to implement CITES.

Questions:•What are your priorities as regards Environmental Protection and Climate Change?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?

Pakistan

Pakistan

Good Governance Conventions against corruption and fighting illegal drugs (2016 GSP+ Report)

•Drugs: efforts continue to counter drug trafficking and abuse, but continue to suffer weaknesses in capacity and coordination.•Corruption: efforts to implement commitments in the convention have improved by strengthening the National Accountability Bureau, however, challenges are still considerable.

Questions:•What are your key priorities as regards Good Governance?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?


•Cabo Verde seen as example in West-Africa•Clear political commitment to respect and implement human rights •Overall, effective implementation and enforcement, but Reporting obligations not respected•Independent judiciary system•Concerns: rights of the child, gender-based violence and discrimination


Cabo Verde


•Steps taken to ensure legislative alignment, however, further legislative amendments needed on Freedom of Association, Worst Forms of Child Labour, Minimum Age for Work and Equal Remuneration •Reporting obligations to the ILO not fully respected•Close cooperation with ILO (technical assistance programme)


Cabo Verde


•Non-compliance with reporting obligations•Legislation to be strengthened for implementation of CITES•Cartagena Protocol: draft biosafety framework to be implemented•More information needed on implementation of Stockholm Convention, Convention on Biological Diversity and Basel Convention


Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde


•Important transit hub for cocaine•Consumption of illegal drugs increasing •National Integrated Program adopted in fight against drugs•Significant efforts made to combat money laundering and drug trafficking•Difficulties to control territorial waters and borders•Cabo Verde relies on international assistance and cooperation programmes


Georgia


•Overall steady progress•Increased awareness of domestic violence•Efforts to reduce high levels of child poverty, infant mortality, low level of education•Step up efforts: accountability for torture by law enforcement authorities, discrimination and violence against women


Georgia


•Revised labour code: first actions taken towards re-establishment of labour inspection system represented major step•Step up efforts: further align new inspectorate with ILO standards



•Satisfactory implementation of CITES, Basel, CBD and Stockholm Conventions•Cooperation with UNEP and EU on implementation of Stockholm Convention, Montreal Protocol•Step up efforts: CITES national legislation, framework policy on climate change


Georgia

Georgia


•Progress in implementing national anti-drug strategy and action plan to address shortcomings in drug control•2015-2016 Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan•Step up efforts: coordinated registration and analysis to comprehensively assess national drug situation, implementation of GRECO recommendations


Mongolia


•Institutional reform, capacity-building, awareness-raising•Step up efforts: capacity, further legislation (e.g. prosecution of all allegations of torture and ill-treatment, of domestic violence and discrimination)


Mongolia


•Legislative acts adopted / amended: Laws on Combating Human Trafficking, on the Promotion of Gender Equality, on State Employment•Step up efforts: reporting, labour inspectorate capacity



•Developing strong range of legislation addressing climate change•Step up efforts: reporting and implementation


Mongolia

Mongolia


•Step up efforts: strengthen techniques for detecting narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, reporting, development and implementation of a national plan to fight illegal drugs, regulatory improvements to implement UNCAC


Lunch Break

13:00h – 14:30h

Human Rights Conventions (Staff Working Document)

•No serious failure to implement any of the conventions. New government since January 2015, taking actions to improve human rights situation, including legislative and institutional framework.•Salient shortcomings relate to, inter alia, discrimination and violence against women, minimum age of marriage, juvenile justice, child abuse, Prevention of Terrorism Act, prevalent use of torture, fundamental legal safeguards and impunity.


Sri Lanka

Labour Rights Conventions (Staff Working Document)

•No serious failure to implement any of the conventions.•Issues related to the freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, e.g. intimidation and harassment of trade unions and their leaders, anit-union discrimination seen as problematic.


Sri Lanka

Environmental Protection and Climate Change Conventions (Staff Working Document)

•No serious failure to implement any of the conventions.•No particular implementation issues identified.

Questions:•What are your priorities as regards Environmental Protection and Climate Change?

•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Good Governance Conventions against corruption and fighting illegal drugs (Staff Working Document)

•No serious failure to implement any of the conventions.•No particular implementation issues identified.



•Efforts strengthen human rights legal framework continued. Number of EJKs and enforced disappearances declined. Civil society remains vibrant despite climate of impunity.•A major issue remains the culture of impunity as cases of human right violations remain unresolved.•More efforts needed to ensure, inter alia, respect of rights of indigenous people, human rights defenders, dealing with private armies and paramilitary groups.•Philippines country report under CERD is due since March 2012.


The Philippines


•ILO has appreciated important progress to improve awareness and implementation of ILO conventions, especially at national level.•Implementation and enforcement challenges remain in the regions and sub-regions, for example in fishery and mining industries.•External circumstances, such a typhoons, has exacerbated problems, incl. child labour and trafficking


The Philippines


•No particular issues in implementing CBD, Basel and Stockholm conventions.•CITES: in 2013 the Philippines seen as primary concern as transit place for ivory. Reporting outstanding.


The Philippines

The Philippines


•Drugs: the Philippines continued make progress in promoting inter-agency coordination and cooperation international partners. Further efforts needed combat drug trafficking, especially methamphetamine.•Corruption: enormous challenges remain despite efforts made. UNCAC review identifies challenges, including legislative measures on trading in influence, bribery and definition of public officials etc. and better coordination among anti-corruption agencies.


Kyrgyzstan

Human Rights ConventionsQuestions:•What are your key priorities as regards Human Rights?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?

Kyrgyzstan

Labour Rights ConventionsQuestions:•What are your key priorities as regards labour rights?•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?

Environment/Climate Conventions


Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan

Good Governance Conventions



•Bolivia elected to UN Human Rights Council 2015-2017•Solid basis: constitution, Patriotic Agenda 2025, National Plan for Human Rights 2014-2018, but

• Persistent discrimination against indigenous peoples, Afro-Bolivians and other vulnerable communities

• Restrictions on the right to freedom of association•Efforts made to eradicate poverty and improve access to education, health, food and housing•A particular concern: the minimum age to work (see also labour conventions)•Need for further strengthening of independence and efficiency of justice system


Bolivia


•Legislation broadly in line with the fundamental labour rights conventions•However, salient shortcomings related to Conventions No 138 (minimum age to work) and 182 (worst forms of child labour)

• Enabling work at 12 for an employer and at 10 if self-employed• Discussed as "double-footnoted case" at ILC in 2015• Forced child labour / hazardous work

•Need to strengthen labour inspectorate


Bolivia


•Non-compliance with the CITES Convention (reporting and implementation)•Need for strengthening measures to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity•No public position taken on CO2 reduction targets, but quantifiable targets developed for other policy measures, such as renewable energy use.


Bolivia

Bolivia


•Efforts made to tackle drug trafficking•However, world's third-largest producer of coca leaf•20 000 ha of coca cultivation considered as licit•Heavy reliance on international cooperation in fight against illegal drugs•Also efforts made to tackle corruption, but

• criminalisation of (certain cases of) corruption needed• and wider range of corruption in private and public sectors to be tackled

•Progress made on transparency and access to information in public institutions

Questions:•What are your key priorities as regards Good Governance?

•What positive / negative developments have you observed since 2016?


•Efforts made to fight discrimination and to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples, children, adolescents and persons with disabilities•Awareness of human rights obligations increased (partly as result of membership of UN Human Rights Council in 2015-2017) •However, further attention still needed for rights of indigenous peoples, violence and discrimination against women, child labour, investigations of killings of human rights defenders, functioning of the justice system, conditions in prisons and pre-trial detention


Paraguay


• Tools developed to enhance implementation, such as the National Plan for Prevention and Eradication of Child Labour, the National Plan for Prevention and Eradication of Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, Strategy for the Prevention of Forced Labour, National Policy to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Human Beings • However, administrative structures still weak• Awareness labour rights among population, social and economic actors is limited• Sustained efforts in long term necessary • Further attention needed for:

• elimination of child labour, combat against trafficking in human beings and equal labour conditions for men and women


Paraguay


•Shortcomings with regard to the reporting obligations•Need to ensure robust implementation by institutional strengthening and a medium/long term strategy •Legislation complying with CITES to be adopted•On climate change, First Biennial Update Report to be prepared


Paraguay

Paraguay


•Measures taken to tackle drug-related concerns, but additional resources and institutional strengthening needed •National Integrated Plan to tackle illegal drugs was adopted, but implementation to be ensured•Cooperation with the international community strengthened •Corruption remains concern (active shortcomings identified by the UNCAC IRG), but actions to increase transparency and fight corruption are on-going


Thank you

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