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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


The gathering financial storm is just one effect of corporate power unbound
What have governments learned from the financial crisis? I could write a column spelling it out. Or I could do the same job with one word: nothing.
Trans Pacific Partnership IP chapter – trademarks, thoughts on geographical indications
This article offers accompanying commentary together on the TPP’s trademark provisions together with thoughts on portions of the TPP text regarding Geographical Indications (GIs)
Fallout from EU-US Safe Harbour ruling will be dramatic and far-reaching
Clever ruling by the Court of Justice will be almost impossible to circumvent. The "Safe Harbour" ruling is likely to affect trade agreements like TISA and TTIP in important ways.
No to FTAs!
TPP, like other Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), is fashioned by industrial countries and their transnational corporations to further intensify the concentration of resources, wealth, and power into their hands leaving developing countries.
The US strategy to create a new global legal and economic system: TPP, TTIP, TISA
Wikileaks - The US strategy to create a new global legal and economic system
Libre-échange : des effets difficiles à mesurer sur l’emploi
Les conséquences des accords multilatéraux sur le commerce mondial et l’économie sont loin de faire consensus.
Regional free trade deals may create ’legal mess’ within WTO framework
New regional mega-agreements on free trade between the United States, Europe, Pacific Rim nations and some World Trade Organization (WTO) members will create numerous legal problems within the WTO framework.
Health and trade: What hope for SDG 3
Emma Woodford from the Health and Trade Network examines SDG3 on health and well-being and questions if its targets are achievable given the damaging nature of legally binding trade agreements being simultaneously negotiated by SDG signatories.
TISA and TPP: trade unions and social movements resist unfair trade deals
Governments around the globe are currently engaged in the biggest burst of trade and investment treaty negotiations since the 1990s. This new wave of trade deals is primarily being negotiated by governments and corporations in complete secrecy.
Trade agreements: EU grows bilateral and regional FTAs
Free trade agreements (FTAs) between the European Union (EU) and its trading partners worldwide have mushroomed in recent years and more are in the pipeline.

    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.