Losing UNHRC won’t directly impact GSP+, says Dias

By Poornima Ravishan Wijemanne
Sri Lanka not being able to enter the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) does not have a direct impact on the newly extended special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance of the Generalised System of Tariff Preferences (GSP+), as long as the government abides by the human rights and labour conventions it has signed Brandix Apparels Director and Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) Member Ajith Dias said.

“It’s a disappointment that we didn’t enter the UNHRC, but it doesn’t have a direct impact on the GSP+ scheme. We are confident that the government will indict human rights offenders and comply with the ratifications prescribed by the European Union (EU),” said Dias, speaking to The Nation.

The GSP+ scheme allows most of Sri Lanka’s major exports – including apparels – to enter the EU market for less or no duty, provided Sri Lanka complies with the human rights and labour rights conventions it has signed.

Sri Lanka and Mongolia are the only two Asian countries to be granted this special concession that was to expire at the end of this year. After reviewing the situation in Sri Lanka, the EU decided to extend the GSP+ scheme for three more years from January, 2009.