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human rights


Human rights and the ASEAN-China FTA
Entering year 2010 is marked by the entry into a free trade area agreement between ASEAN and China, also known as the ASEAN-China FTA. Little attention was given to the possible impact of this FTA agreement to fulfill human rights in Indonesia.
EU urged to suspend trade talks with Colombia
Senior British MEP Richard Howitt has urged the EU to suspend free trade agreement talks with Colombia because of the country´s "profound" human rights "crisis."
Vietnam - No human rights issues in trade acts
A leading Vietnamese Government official has asked that the US leave democratic and human rights issues out of its trade acts
The ill-advised US certification of Colombia on human rights
Is certification a signal that Colombia will obtain FTA approval?
Human rights issues could thwart Colombia-EU FTA: France
Human rights issues could thwart commercial agreements between Colombia and the EU, said the deputy leader of the French National Assembly on Monday.
Sri Lanka: Gov’t, EU in back-channel talks over fate of trade pact
Sri Lanka has reacted strongly to a European Commission (EC) probe on its human rights record, saying it is politically motivated.
Sri Lanka may lose clothes trade benefits for alleged human rights abuses
The European Commission is all set to recommend withdrawal of trade benefits from Sri Lanka after allegations of large scale violation of human rights surfaced during the last stages of the civil war against the LTTE.
Steelworkers call on Liberals to refuse support for Harper’s Colombia trade deal
As Parliament resumes, Ken Neumann, National Director of the United Steelworkers (USW) today called on Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal caucus to refuse to support the Harper government’s free trade agreement with Colombia when the bill is voted in Parliament next week.
Brazilian Parliament recommends freezing out Israelis from third largest export market
“This decision is an enormous blow for Israel’s economy and foreign relations”, says Jamal Juma’ of the Stop the Wall Campaign. The Brazilian Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Relations and National Defense has recommended that the parliament should not ratify the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Mercosur and the State of Israel until “Israel accepts the creation of the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders”.
EU puts Middle East policies on hold until US talks
EU diplomats in Brussels on Thursday (10 September) put off a decision on signing an Association Agreement with Syria until October at the earliest. EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels next week were due to discuss the pact. But it was dropped from the agenda after the Netherlands said it would veto the existing text on human rights grounds.
Human rights lawyer institutes proceedings against EU at European Court of Justice in order to improve human rights situation Lebanon
The prominent Lebanese human rights lawyer Dr. Muhamad Mugraby has instituted legal proceedings against the EU at the European Court of Justice invoking its obligations under Article 2 of the Association Agreement with Lebanon, commonly known as the “human rights clause”, in order to improve the human rights situation in Lebanon.
Ethical issues for future free trade talks
The free trade agreement between New Zealand, Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations may lead to new layers of complexity in future negotiations.
Obama ’confident’ FTA with Colombia will go ahead
US President Barack Obama said Monday following a meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, that he is confident that a free trade agreement with Colombia can ultimately be reached.
Human rights and BITs: Mapping the role of human rights law within investor-state arbitration
Investment treaties and free trade agreements offer few instructions as to how such agreements should be reconciled with human rights obligations of the state.
Peruvian indigenous land conflict explained
Peru is back on the international human rights community’s blacklist
Upgrading of relations EU-Israel
Open letter from Hiyam Noir, editor of Palestine Free Voice, to EU-Isral Association Council
Colombia commits "crimes against humanity" as free trade pacts are debated
Despite the claims of the Colombian government and those in the U.S., Canada and the EU eager to consummate "free trade" pacts with that regime, the human rights situation in that country is deteriorating fast. Indeed, by key measures — the killing of unionists, extra-judicial killings by the military, and the forced displacement of civilians — Colombia’s human rights situation is amongst the worst in the world and getting worse. In the case of union killings, it remains the very worst.
Activists oppose Igantieff’s support of CCFTA
Despite calls from labour and human rights organizations across Canada, on May 1 Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff announced that the party would support the ratification of a proposed Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA).
GCC-EU FTA hits roadblock again
Free trade talks between the GCC and the European Union have been suspended again after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on human rights and customs duties on GCC exports to Europe.