Post-COVID19 economic recovery must protect human rights and the environment, MPs say

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JAKARTA – On International Environment Day, regional MPs urge Southeast Asian governments to ensure that their post-COVID19 economic recovery plans protect human rights and the environment. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we need to invest more in our health, our workforce and our environment. Now is the time to restructure our economies in a way that promotes human lives above profits, that redistributes resources more equitably, and that better protects our environment and tackles climate change,” said Anthea Ong, a Singapore Member of Parliament, and member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR). 

“We call on ASEAN governments to operate this radical shift and ensure that measures aimed at boosting the economy do not scrap environmental and labour regulation, but rather promote a just and sustainable future.” 

In order to avoid future shocks and crises, economic recovery plans must ensure an energy transition away from a reliance on fossil fuels and coal, and towards renewable energy projects that respect the rights of all and reduce the region’s contribution to climate change, APHR said. 

“A poorly protected environment now will mean more diseases, more loss of livelihoods, more displacement and fewer chances of long-term economic prosperity for the region. By making the right investments now, in sustainable energy and economic activity that does not harm our environment, we will not only ensure that we get out of this economic crisis, but also help tackle climate change and air pollution”, Ong said. 

The economic recovery must not only be directed towards a greener future, but also one that respects the rights of all, APHR added. As mass unemployment threatens the region, it is essential that post-COVID19 economic stimulus investments reach small and medium sized enterprises, and create sustainable and decent employment. As a UN expert recommends, this should be achieved through progressive taxation and requesting contributions to the effort from large corporate conglomerates. 

“COVID19 has shown us that those such as health workers, construction workers, factory workers, and domestic workers are not disposable, but essential to our lives, and they deserve protection,” said Chamnan Chanruang, a former Thai MP and APHR member. “In the “new normal” created by the pandemic, we must reject the mindset of brutal efficiency and profit-making that has left so many people behind. Now is the time for improved labour standards in Southeast Asia that protect everyone, including migrant workers, women and those most vulnerable in a new, just and green economy.”