Sustaining GSP-Plus Status by Strengthened National Capacities to Improve ILS Compliance and Reporting

Pakistan is a GSP+ beneficiary country since January, 2014. Continuity and sustenance of this trade for development facility is conditioned to better compliance and reporting of twenty-seven international standards including the eight Fundamental Labour Standards. This project funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen the capacities of Federal and Provincial Governments in better compliance and reporting of the Fundamental Labour Standards

At a glance

Partners
Federal Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD), All four Provincial Labour Departments, Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP), Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF)

Target beneficiaries

Ultimate Beneficiaries:
Federal Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD), all four Provincial Labour Departments

Other Beneficiaries:
State bodies responsible for applying labour legislation, justice system, social dialogue institutions and workers and employers organisation


Geographical focus
Nationwide (Pakistan)

Project Objectives

The project aims at promoting the application of fundamental ILO conventions in Pakistan, beneficiary of the EU preferential trade scheme GSP+. The Government of Pakistan will be assisted to take action to apply international labour standards and meet their standards-related obligations, in particular in response to issues raised by the supervisory bodies and reported in the GSP+ Scorecards.

The project will be implemented by the ILO under the ambit of the overarching programme on ILS compliance in Pakistan jointly developed by the Ministry of OP&HRD along with Workers and Employers organizations. The project will also work with provincial departments of labour and associated departments including; workers welfare fund, social security institutes, old age benefit institutions, minimum wages etc. Other than these concerned partners, tripartite plus stakeholders like Ministry of Commerce that is directly overseeing the implementation of the GSP Plus through the Treaty Implementation Cell will be closely involved.
To strengthen the national capacities, the project focuses on the following objectives/outcomes;
  • To facilitate the labour law reform process through technical assistance for alignment with ILS;
  • To support Federal and Provincial Governments to initiate actions for ILS Compliance;
  • To strengthen capacities of Workers and Employers for active participation in labour administrative process;
  •  To strengthen capacities for improved communication and reporting on ILS

Main Activities

  1. National study to identify areas in 8 Fundamental Conventions which requires new laws or amendments particularly focusing child and bonded labour conventions
  2. Seminars / consultations for advocacy and affirmative actions on core Labour conventions
  3. Technical support to Labour Departments in drafting new labour laws / amendments for compliance with ILS
  4. Technical support to Federal Ministry of OPHRD to develop national strategy for Elimination of Child and Bonded Labour from Pakistan
  5. Technical support to Provincial Governments of Punjab and Baluchistan to initiate a Government-funded project on Child and Bonded Labour
  6. Organize training courses for federal and provincial ILS units on better reporting on fundamental rights
  7. Training support to Ministry of OP&HRD and Provincial Labour Department to establish at least two inter-ministerial and inter-departmental coordination platforms established for information sharing and quality reporting fundamental rights
  8. Develop resource material (guides, handbooks, posters) on role of Government, Workers and Employers in application of labour laws
  9. Develop a communication Strategy for federal and provincial labour authorities for effective exchange of information with key partners
  10. Support Workers and Employers organizations in developing Position Papers on Labour Law Reform by Provinces
  11.  Organize tripartite consultations to crystalize challenges in thematic areas of core labour standards

Project Outcomes

  1. Better compliance with reporting obligations as well as enhanced capacity to comply with and implement ILS in law and in practice
  2. Tripartite partners will actively and adequately participate to the reporting process
  3. Tripartite partners have increased capacity to influence the quality of reports
  4. Tripartite constituents have access and capacity to use training materials on concerned ILS and reporting obligations with a view to increasing and stabilising the capacity of their respective organisations
  5. Tripartite constituents, parliamentarians and judges are better sensitised on the ILS and on the application issues raised by the supervisory bodies, take action to strengthen the application of fundamental ILS.