French HR envoy for consumers to help ensure RMG workers' safety

FE Report French Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights François Zimeray Tuesday said brands and their consumers should bear the cost of ensuring safety and dignity of apparel workers of Bangladesh. "Dignity and safety of workers have a cost and consumers and brands should pay the price," he said, replying to a question while addressing a press conference at the Alliance Française in the city's Dhanmondi. Zimeray, who arrived in Dhaka on Monday and visited the collapsed Rana Plaza site in Savar, also talked to the victims' families, government officials, civil society members and non-government organisations. , said an official at the French Ambassador to Dhaka Michael Tranquil informed reporters. Explaining the reasons of his visit, Michael Tranquil said he wanted to see the aftermath of the Rana Plaza catastrophe and to examine how France could support Bangladesh to improve the existing working conditions at garment factories of the country. The Ambassador said the visit also focused on the follow-up of the universal hearing at the United Nations on the state of the human rights in Bangladesh. François Zimeray said that there must put an end to the ignorance, indifference and complicity in connection to the readymade garment industry. "Accidents may take place at any time. But at the first time, such incident is due to ignorance; at the second time it is indifference and at the third time, it must be complicity," he said. "There is a difference between ignorance and indifference," he said adding that the government and private sectors of the country must work hand-in-hand to improve the situation. The special envoy said the victims did not only suffer from the Rana Plaza collapse, it is also the collapse of justice, respect and humanity. "As we live in an open world everybody has responsibility for others," he said adding that after returning home he would pursue buyers, clients and customers to pay higher prices of apparels. He said consumers should not be indifferent to the state of the working conditions and they should know where these apparels come from and how these are being made. "This is not only the time of corporate social responsibility. It is also the time of consumer's social responsibility," he said adding big brands should accept this working situation. "Bangladesh is a trademark and it is its responsibility to protect its brand image," he said calling for taking lessons from the Rana Plaza collapse. He said, "We cannot give solutions; solutions must come from here. We only can assist providing experience and encourage for positive steps." Replying to a question with regard to ongoing trial of 1971 war crimes in the International Crimes Tribunals, the Ambassador said justice is not revenge. There must be emphasis on some universal principles of human rights. "Though there is emotion with regard to the trials, sometimes there must be more priority on reason than emotion," he said. He also condemned the extra-judicial killings, forced disappearances and repression on the activists of opposition parties in Bangladesh. The extra-judicial killings and force disappearances in Bangladesh are terrible crimes and crimes against humanity, he said. "We are not here to name, shame and blame. Bangladesh should solve their own problems working together with the international community," he said adding that Bangladesh is a signatory to many international conventions and agreements which uphold human rights. François Zimeray held a series of meetings with the ministers concerned, senior officials and other stakeholders to assess the present labour rights situation as well as safety conditions in the RMG sector in Bangladesh. He also visited Enam Medical College Hospital, Savar and talked to the injured workers and their families, apart from the rescuers. Zimeray also talked to the local journalists at Savar. He left the country in the evening straight from the press meet.