AAMIR SAEED

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is faced with numerous problems in implementation of the 27 UN conventions on fundamental human, labour and environmental rights that are necessary to make the GSP-plus a success.

After 18th Amendment in the Constitution and under the Rule 49 (3) of the Rules of Business 1973, the implementation of international agreements is the responsibility of the provincial governments.

A government official told Business Recorder on Friday that role of the federal government in implementation of majority of the conventions had been reduced to a mere coordinator.

He said the federal government had been facing difficulties in implementation of the conventions especially relating to environment, climate change, labour and human rights; therefore some amendments in the legislation were being considered at the federal level.

The Ministry of Climate Change had been coordinating with the provinces to set up a Climate Change Authority at the federal level to keep a check on implementation status of the conventions relating to environment, he said.

He said the Ministry had received a positive feedback from all the provinces and a Pakistan Climate Change Act would be passed in the next couple of months. The federal government had also been coordinating with all the provincial governments to ensure implementation on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, he said.

Likewise, the federal government has put in place some other institutions to respect, protect and promote human rights such as the GSP-Plus Treaty Implementation Cell, headed by the special assistant to prime minister on law and justice, at the federal and provincial level.

The official said that National Commission for Human Rights had also been established as well as Human Rights Cells at high courts throughout the country. Victims of human rights violations, especially from religious minorities, can either directly approach the commission, or human rights cells for redress.

The European Union (EU) granted the GSP Plus status to Pakistan on December 13 last year. The benefit of zero rate duty will be applicable to Pakistani products entering in the EU on or after January 1, 2014.

The official said the provincial governments are responsible to improve the labour rights in their respective areas, but little has been done so far.