Ratifying ILO pacts to help Dhaka better negotiate GSP+, FTA with EU

He said this at an event at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka to celebrate Bangladesh's ratification of ILO conventions 155, 187 and 190. The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the ILO.

ILO convention 155 addresses labour rights in refusing hazardous work, convention 187 establishes a promotional framework for occupational safety and health, and convention 190 aims at preventing violence and harassment.

"As Bangladesh prepares to graduate from LDC [least developed country] status, it can benefit from the EU's GSP+ scheme. This scheme provides continued preferential market access, but links trade benefits to the implementation of international standards on labour rights, environmental protection, human rights, and good governance," Miller was quoted as saying by domestic media outlets.

"Should Bangladesh one day formally request FTA negotiations, I assure you that the highest standards in rights protection and governance will be central to any such arrangement," he noted.

The EU has long supported Bangladesh through initiatives such as ‘Everything but Arms’ (EBA), providing duty-free, quota-free access, European expertise and development cooperation.

"We warmly welcome the interim government's achievements and encourage continued progress on Bangladesh's National Action Plan on the labour sector. Key areas still needing attention include amending the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Labour Act, eliminating child labour, and strengthening social dialogue," Miller added.

Bangladesh is the first country in Asia to ratify all 10 fundamental ILO conventions and the first in South Asia to ratify ILO convention 190. The country has ratified 36 ILO conventions aimed at protecting workers' rights till now.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)