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Malaysian civil society groups urge government to reject investor-state dispute settlement clause in RCEP deal
9-Jul-2025 The Edge Malaysia
Malaysian CSOs have urged the government to reject the inclusion of the ISDS clause in the RCEP agreement. They warn that ISDS allows foreign investors to sue governments over policies safeguarding public interests like health, workers, and the environment, potentially leading to costly legal battles and large payouts detrimental to national budgets.
Why Kenya-UAE economic deal could be disastrous for Kenya’s health sector
2-Jul-2025 The standard
On January 14, President William Ruto and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed the Kenya-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), touted as the UAE’s first such deal with a mainland African country.
Remove TRIPS+ demands from the EFTA-Malaysia Free-Trade Agreement
25-Jun-2025 Alliance Sud
The undersigned Swiss NGOs are urging the Swiss government to actively engage within EFTA to drop these provisions known as TRIPS+.
Statement on the voices of Thai civil society regarding the free trade agreement between Thailand and the European Union
24-Jun-2025 FTA Watch
Thai civil society organizations expressing serious concerns about the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between Thailand and the European Union (EU), highlight potential negative impacts on agriculture, food security, environment, labor rights, public health, and other social issues.
Malaysia – EFTA Economic Partnership Agreement (MEEPA) will jeopardise public health, access to seeds & farmers’ rights
17-Jun-2025 Consumers’ Association of Penang
Consumers’ Association of Penang submitted a Memorandum on June 2025 to strongly urge the Malaysian government not to rush to endorse and/or sign the trade deal with EFTA. If a deal is to be signed, such a deal must not contain any TRIPS-plus obligation.
Malaysia-EFTA economic partnership agreement (MEEPA) would tie Malaysia’s hands on access to medicines
12-Jun-2025 Info Justice
Malaysian negotiators have accepted intellectual property protections above those required by the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, which will adversely affect affordable and equitable access to medicines in Malaysia for generations.
India keeps data exclusivity out of UK FTA to protect local drug makers
13-May-2025 Financial Express
India safeguards its $25B generic drug industry by excluding data exclusivity from the UK FTA, ensuring affordable drug access and faster generic launches.
Why the Kenya/UAE comprehensive economic partnership is bad for Kenya’s health sector
1-May-2025 Citizen Digital
On January 14 this year, President William Ruto and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between their respective countries.
What could be in the UK-US trade deal after ’game changing’ meeting in Washington
3-Mar-2025 Sky
Previous negotiations have stalled because of red lines on the NHS and food standards - so what sort of deal could Labour achieve after the Starmer charmer offensive?
Thai CSOs’ letter to the EU chief negotiator regarding concerns over the ongoing FTA negotiation with Thailand
29-Nov-2024 Access to medicines
Civil society and non-government organizations in Thailand oppose the provisions proposed by the EU that will have a vast and adverse impact on access to medicines, universal health coverage scheme, agriculture, food sovereignty, consumer protection, and livelihoods of Thai people.
Civil society groups unite to monitor the 4th round of Thailand-EU FTA negotiation
26-Nov-2024 Thaiplus Net
Thai civil society groups, including FTA Watch and the Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, have expressed serious concerns over the ongoing Thailand-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations. Key issues include stricter intellectual property rights, which could impact access to affordable medicines, and potential threats to food security and public health. The groups are urging the Thai government to prioritize public health and environmental concerns over corporate interests.
Thai and Swiss civil society unite to protect access to medicines and the Universal Health Coverage Scheme
21-Nov-2024 ITPC Global
Civil society groups in Thailand and Switzerland are urging the Thai government to maintain its stance against TRIPS+ provisions, which exceed the requirements of the World Trade Organization’s TRIPS Agreement. These groups argue that such provisions could significantly increase the cost of medicines and limit access for the Thai population.
Trump’s plan for US providers in NHS could scupper hopes of free trade deal
8-Nov-2024 i
Republicans’ Project 2025 manifesto suggests opening up NHS to ’foreign competition’.
India, Cambodia discuss investment treaty, UPI collab: Commerce ministry
24-Jun-2024 Busines Standard
India and South East Asian nation Cambodia deliberated upon diversification of the trade basket by identifying new products, bilateral investment treaty, recognition of Indian pharmacopoeia and collaboration in the pharma sector.
India’s newly amended patent rules threaten affordable medicines in the Global South
2-May-2024 Peoples Dispatch
It is no coincidence that just five days before the amendments were announced, India signed a Free Trade Agreement with the European Free Trade Association.
MSF response to signing of EFTA-India trade agreement
15-Mar-2024 MSF
MSF is concerned that certain clauses related to intellectual property in this trade deal could significantly undermine the use of existing public health measures enshrined in Indian patent law.
After 30 Years of NAFTA, the Working Classes Are Still Losing
1-Mar-2024 The Nation
Thirty years after NAFTA came into effect in 1994, the economic data suggests a somber conclusion: The three countries’ working classes are worse off today than they were before
Swiss trade deal: Is India changing its tune on pharma patents?
27-Feb-2024 SWI
Intellectual property protection for the Swiss pharmaceutical industry has been a key sticking point in negotiations on a free trade agreement with India. Now there seems to be a breakthrough in talks after 16 years. What’s changed?
Thorny clause in ripening India-European Free Trade Association deal may hit generic drug industry
14-Feb-2024 The Hindu
The clause in the draft free trade agreement text could delay access to affordable, generic versions of patented drugs in India by a minimum of six years, according to documents.
New patent rules in India-UK trade agreement will prioritise pharmaceutical profit over public health
13-Feb-2024 AFTINET
The “TRIPS-Plus” provisions in the India-UK Agreement are a dangerous attempt to increase the power of pharmaceutical companies by placing profits before public health.