Policies of competition, privatization, liberalization, and deregulation have the most negative impact on the poor. Women comprise 70% of the world’s poor. APWLD – See Link to Flyer Below.

UN Expert Urges Pacific Rim Countries NOT to Sign the TPP without Committing to Human Rights and Development

GENEVA (2 February 2016) – United Nations human rights expert Alfred de Zayas called on Governments not to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without reaffirming their human rights treaty obligations and their recent pledges to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

“The TPP is fundamentally flawed and should not be signed or ratified unless provision is made to guarantee the regulatory space of States,” said the UN Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order in a statement* made public today.

Mr. de Zayas called for a new generation of trade agreements for the 21st century, which would incorporate human rights and development into their provisions, stressing that “the TPP is based on an old model of trade agreements that is out of step with today’s international human rights regime.”

The expert’s appeal comes on the eve of the gathering of the trade ministers in Auckland, New Zealand, on 4 February 2016, to sign the TPP, a trade agreement among twelve Pacific Rim countries that will strengthen the position of investors, transnational corporations and monopolies at the expense of the public, and will impact negatively on labour standards, food security, health and environmental protection.

Mr. de Zayas reiterated his call on the UN system and Governments across the world “to put an end to free trade and investment agreements that conflict with human rights treaty obligations,” made last year during the presentation of a report on free trade and investment agreements to the UN Human Rights Council.

“Trade is not an end in itself, but must be seen in the context of the international human rights regime, which imposes binding legal obligations on States, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,” he said.

“Trade agreements are not ‘stand-alone’ legal regimes, but must conform with fundamental principles of international law, including transparency and accountability,” Mr. de Zayas stressed. “They must not delay, circumvent, undermine or make impossible the fulfilment of human rights treaty obligations.”

In his statement, the Independent Expert expressed concern that, despite “enormous opposition by civil society worldwide, twelve countries are about to sign an agreement, which is the product of secret negotiations without multi-stakeholder democratic consultation.”

“The options are not to sign the TPP as it stands, as civil society demands, or not to ratify it, which is the responsibility of democratically elected parliaments,” the expert noted. “Should the TPP ever enter into force, its compatibility with international law should be challenged before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)”.

“If a public referendum were held in all twelve countries concerned, it will be solidly rejected,” Mr. de Zayas stated.

Website of the UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic & Equitable International Order – https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IntOrder/Pages/IEInternationalorderIndex.aspx

Global Policy Forum

https://www.globalpolicy.org/economic-expansion/international-trade-agreements-8-22.html

International Trade Agreements

Neoliberal ideology claims that international trade is an important factor for the development of poor countries and their integration into the global economy. Rich governments’ promotion of these ideals has led them to develop an array of new trade agreements such as the FTAA and CAFTA. These bilateral, multilateral, and regional accords strongly affect people at all levels of the economy–from growers and workers, to processors and consumers –by regulating pricing, tariffs, export levels, and methods of production. Though supporters claim that trade agreements bring sustainable development and economic integration, this is not the case. Rich countries maintain protections of their own exports, while their competitors in poor countries agree to open their markets. Beneficial norms, such as human rights or environmental standards, are set aside. This leads to a “race to the bottom,” in which the only priority is cost effective production, at the expense of workers, resources, and sustainability. Due to these failings, the agreements tend to harm development and pull poor countries deeper into poverty.

WUNRN

https://wunrn.wpengine.com

APWLD – Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law & Development

TRANS-PACIFIC WOMEN VS. TRANS-PACIFIC CORPORATOCRACY – COMPOUNDS INEQUALITY

At a time when governments, civil society organisations and the larger international community are negotiating a new sustainable development agenda, another binding, global, agreement is being negotiated behind closed doors. Learn more about the impact this trade agreement can have on the women in the region.

Direct Link – COMPREHENSIVE 4-PAGE LEAFLET

https://apwld.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tpp-one-pager2.pdf

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