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:: Across the board ::

This section contains news and analysis of sweeping developments that affect the overall push and pull towards FTAs and bilateral investment treaties. This means major trends relating to bilateralism, often with global consequences, and other cross-cutting issues. New developments arising from US politics, the WTO or South-South alliance-building, for instance, are often reported here as they tend to have systemic impacts.

last update: May 2012


Primer on RCEP and TPPA
FTAs operate as extensions of the WTO resulting in decentralized and yet intensifying attacks against workers and peasants across the different global regions.
What do trade agreements do for open access—and what don’t they do?
The absence of support for open access in trade agreements comes as no surprise when considering that there are no representatives from the education sector, nor any library or archive representatives, in the relevant closed-door trade advisory committees
Do free trade deals pose a threat to higher education?
The awareness of the threat posed to the public realm by international ‘free trade’ agreements has been heightened by the publication of new leaks and criticism from leading intellectuals.
Trade for the people, not for corporate elites!
People Over Profit is a new global network of people’s movements and NGOs campaigning against FTAs and corporate plunder. Sign the call and join the action.
40 years ago, this Chilean exile warned us about the shock doctrine. Then he was assassinated.
There are connections between the imposition of brutal austerity and corporate-friendly trade deals and the frightening rise of far-right parties.
The new rules of the road: a progressive approach to globalization
The new president needs a fresh approach to trade.
Regulatory harmonization in international trade: A categorical or conditional imperative?
The idea that regulatory convergence leads to "more trade" stands on weak empirical grounds.
Free people from ‘dictatorship’ of 0.01%
Through RCEP, Asian countries may be dragged into the TPP under pressure of harmonisation, especially on issues related to seed, warns Vandana Shiva
Americanization of the BIT universe
Friendship, Commerce and Navigation (FCN) treaties are more than a historical precursor to international investment agreements (IIA) and continue to influence and inspire modern investment treaty design.
UN Treaty on transnational corporations, other business enterprises & human rights: Options for justice
This report discusses options for the following aspects of the treaty: access to remedy; enforcement mechanisms; and its relationship with the trade and investment regime.

    Links


  • #A18DoA - Global day of action to defeat free trade and investment treaties
    Website for the global day of action to defeat free trade and investment treaties #A18DoA
  • 21st Century Trade Agreements: Implications for Long-Run Development Policy
    A publication of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. The paper examines the policy space available under various free trade regimes for countries pursuing industrial policies for development.
  • Alianza Social Continental
    La Alianza Social Continental es un foro de organizaciones y movimientos sociales progresistas de las Américas, creado para intercambiar información, definir estrategias y promover acciones conjuntas, todo ello encaminado a la búsqueda de un modelo de desarrollo alternativo y democrático, que beneficie a nuestros pueblos
  • ICC
    International Chamber of Commerce
  • Movimientos.org
    A multilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese) website focusing on social movements and their campaigns, including those against bilateral and regional FTAs.
  • Pambazuka
    In this week’s edition of the Emerging Powers News Round-Up, read a comprehensive list of news stories and opinion pieces related to China, India and other emerging powers...
  • People over profit
    People Over Profit is a campaign network that unites peoples movements and NGOs across the globe to stop free trade agreements (FTAs) and corporate plunder, launched in October 2016.
  • Peoples Global Action
    In February 1998, movements from all continents met in Geneva to launch a worldwide coordination of resistances to the global market, a new alliance of struggle and mutual support called Peoples’ Global Action against "Free" Trade and the World Trade Organisation (PGA).
  • Regional/Multilateral Integration Agreements
    Selected research papers on regional trade agreements, from internationaleconomics.net
  • SOMO
    SOMO links the negotiations and rules on international trade and investment with the actual conduct of corporations within these rules and agreements.
  • South Centre
    An intergovernmental organisation of developing countries
  • Stop fast track!
    10 days to stop fast track in the United States: Jan 22 - 31 2014
  • Third World Network
    TWN’s website is a good source of information and analysis about what’s happening within the multilateral trade system (WTO, UNCTAD, G77, etc).
  • WorldTradeLaw.net
    WorldTradeLaw.net offers a free library of current trade news and resources; a database of dispute settlement tables and statistics; and a user-friendly search tool for legal texts, and other documents.