ILO Governing Body 352: UK Statement on Bangladesh
INS 14 - Report by the government of Bangladesh on progress in the implementation of the road map. Delivered at 352nd International Labour Organization Governing Body.
Thank you, Chair, for giving me the floor.
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The UK takes note of the draft decision to defer further action on this complaint until the next Governing Body.
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Since we last met to consider this case, there have of course been major political developments in Bangladesh, culminating in the installation of the Interim Government in August. And whilst the country now faces a breadth of challenges, it also has a unique opportunity to make sustainable and durable changes for the better, whether on human rights, development or economic reform. And underpinning all these issues is of course the labour market, where the challenges are plainly set out in the Article 26 complaint before us.
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Indeed, as we saw all too clearly over the summer, concerns about fairness in the labour market have historically been a key driver of instability and violence in the country. Addressing these concerns effectively and holistically will therefore be essential to safeguard the country’s long-term stability.
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As Bangladesh graduates from LDC status, ensuring a gradual transition of trade preferences will also be critical to protect the country’s prosperity. This is why the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme provides a three-year transition period for graduating LDCs. And why the UK pushed hard for agreement at the most recent WTO Ministerial Conference on measures to smooth the transition for countries graduating from developing country status. In this context, delivering tangible progress on the ILO roadmap will not only help to maintain preferential access to key markets in Europe, Canada and the UK, but may also open opportunities in new markets.
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With all of this in mind, we urge the Interim Government to grasp the opportunity before it to accelerate implementation of the roadmap, and to collaborate constructively with the ILO – taking full advantage of its technical expertise.
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As a friend of Bangladesh, the UK of course stands ready to support the Interim Government – along with all other social partners – on this pathway. Indeed, later this month we will meet senior Bangladeshi officials from the Ministries of Commerce, Labour and Employment, and Foreign Affairs, to discuss the implementation of labour reforms. We look forward to working with this group to support substantive progress ahead of the next Governing Body in March.
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With these comments, the UK supports the decision. Thank you, Chair.