Message by the European Union Delegation to the Philippines at the Technical Webinar on Corporate Social Responsibility for Policy Makers “The Contribution of Socially Responsible Labor Practices to the Achievement of Sustainable Development in the Philippines”

By Mr. Maurizio Cellini, European Union Delegation to the Philippines at the Technical Webinar on Corporate Social Responsibility for Policy Makers “The Contribution of Socially Responsible Labor Practices to the Achievement of Sustainable Development in the Philippines,” 24 March 2021, Manila, Philippines via Zoom

Honourable Enrico Pineda, Chairperson, House Committee on Labour and Employment, House of Representatives, Congress of the Philippines

Honourable Joseph Stephen Paduano, Minority Floor Leader

Officials and representatives from the ILO,

Honourable Representatives, other Guests, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

A pleasant good afternoon to you all.

I would like thank both the ILO and the House Committee on Labour and Employment for organising this webinar under the EU-funded Responsible Supply Chains in Asia Project.  Implemented by the ILO and OECD, the Responsible Supply Chains in Asia Project is linked with certain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as GSP+ implementation, with the EU providing support to help the government in its implementation particularly of the labour conventions. 

I would like to take this opportunity to recall what GSP+ is:  GSP+ is a Special Incentive for Sustainable Development and Good Governance.  GSP+ is a unilateral initiative and it is non-reciprocal intended for countries that are vulnerable due to a lack of diversification and insufficient integration within the international trading system.  The aim is to assist developing countries in their economic development, creating jobs and alleviating poverty thereby contributing to the sustainable development of the beneficiary countries. 

PH is the only ASEAN country benefiting from this scheme, helping boost the country’s exports to the EU and attractiveness for investments in facilities to produce goods benefiting from the zero tariffs.  The Philippines’ exports increased substantially following the granting of tariff preferences by the EU under the GSP+ arrangement, resulting in over EUR 150 million duty savings for Philippines exports every year.

GSP+ benefits come with conditions, namely: 

      maintain ratification of the conventions covered by the GSP+ scheme:   27 core international conventions on human rights, labour rights, the environment and good governance

      ensure their effective implementation;

      comply with reporting requirements; 

      accept regular monitoring and review of their implementation record in accordance with the conventions; and

      cooperate with the EU Commission and provide all necessary information.

 

In general, the Philippines’ authorities have been cooperating well on the continuous monitoring of the implementation of the 27 conventions at the basis of the GSP+ system. However, serious concerns remain on substance, especially the lack of progress on the protection of human and labour rights. There is a lot of pressure in the EU to take action and the European Parliament raised serious concerns in its Resolution of 16 September 2020, especially on the need to end impunity and extra judicial killings related to the war on drug and on the possible reinstatement of the death penalty.

 

GSP+ is part of the EU trade agenda to promote sustainable development, human rights and good governance

 

The EU Treaties demand that the EU promote its values, including the development of poorer countries, high social and environmental standards, and respect for human rights, around the world. One of the aims of the EU is to ensure that economic growth goes hand in hand with social justice, respect for human rights, high labour and environmental standards, and health and safety protection.

The EU has been leading in integrating sustainable development objectives into trade policy and making trade an effective tool to promote sustainable development worldwide. The importance of the potential contribution of trade policy to sustainable development was reaffirmed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  And all of our recently concluded free trade agreements include chapters on trade and sustainable development.

Through trade policy, we are not trying to impose EU standards upon our trading partners, but rather put emphasis on what are already shared values (in this case, the SDGs) in order to guarantee the best chance of success for the Filipino economy at large, for entrepreneurs and workers alike, especially in rural communities and less developed areas of the country.

 

I am therefore pleased to note that the House of Representatives is collaborating with the ILO.  We hope that this would signal a fruitful collaboration not only to promote SDGs but towards meaningful initiatives to achieve decent work in the country.

 

The EU trade and sustainability agenda builds on the idea that only long-term engagement and cooperation with partners can deliver meaningful changes on issues such as human and labour rights or environmental protection. Trade and sustainable development are, and will continue to be, a core part of our FTAs and trade policy in general.

As mentioned earlier, this webinar is held under the EU Responsible Supply Chains in Asia Project, intended to help in the implementation of the labour conventions.  There is another ongoing project, Trade for Decent Work Project, which is a follow up to the Freedom of Association Project also being implemented by the ILO.  In the Trade Subcommittee meeting held last January, we expressed concerns on the Joint Industrial Peace and Concern Office (JIPCO) established last year and the ensuing allegations of anti-trade union harassments. We urged the Philippines to ensure that workers’ rights are duly protected throughout the country, including in the economic zones.

Having provided you with key information on GSP+ as well as supporting programmes, I hope that Honourable Members of the House of Representatives would not only appreciate benefits enjoyed by PH due to GSP+ but more importantly, pursue important labour initiatives towards a more inclusive, productive employment in the country and decent work for all

I wish you all a productive webinar today.

Thank you for your kind attention.