Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late, but I have read the briefing. I was struck by the disparity between a country like Laos and somewhere like Singapore. I am trying to get my head around including all of that great variety within a single agreement. The presentation referred to the three pillars of security, economics and socio-cultural matters. I wonder where human rights comes into it. Where are due diligence, labour rights and labour laws? In some of the countries in question there are very severe human rights abuses, particularly of women and children. I refer, in particular, to the Philippines and Myanmar. We see great numbers of children working at ages when they should not be. It is terrible abuse. Where is the voice of Asia Matters on these issues? I may have missed it in reading the briefing, but where is the reference to Taiwan? Is it included somewhere? My other issue concerns Sri Lanka, a country in which, again, there are significant human rights abuses. Is it worth mentioning North Korea? Is there even a slight engagement or any way that what is happening might lead to an opening up in that regard?