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  1. Negotiations

:: 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

Economy for life in our Earth community
20-Dec-2013 Focus
This living document is a result of an extensive process led by the Social Movements for an Alternative Asia (SMAA), Gerak Lawan, La Via Campesina and the supporters of the #EndWTO Campaign.
Debate over proposed global trade agreements
19-Dec-2013 Diane Rehm Show
The pros and cons of two trade agreements in the works, TPP and TTIP, from a US perspective.
US Congress could OK trade promotion bill in early 2014, lawmaker says
11-Dec-2013 Reuters
he Obama administration could secure "fast-track" trade promotion authority from Congress early next year, a leading lawmaker said on Tuesday, handing it the means to secure two big new trade deals.
Vatican criticises TTP and TTIP
5-Dec-2013 KEI
At the WTO 9th Ministerial in Bali, Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi delivered a withering critique of the Trans Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
The alternative trade mandate
26-Nov-2013 TNI
The Alternative Trade Mandate has been developed in extensive civil society consultations all over Europe.
Call to end the WTO and stop the new wave of Free Trade Agreements
23-Oct-2013
More than 90 organizations and social movements are part of the Call to End the WTO and Stop the new wave of Free Trade Agreements. Join us in the EndWTO Bali Week of Action! Sign the call and register.
Does TTIP top TPP free-trade negotiations?
23-Sep-2013 Business Mirror
The transatlantic trade deal, if it does come about, seems potentially more far-reaching, even for Asia.
Fast-track: Enabler of the “free trade” agenda
28-Aug-2013 New American
“I have heard the argument that transparency would undermine the administration’s policy to complete the trade agreement because public opposition would be significant,” a US senator wrote. “This argument is exactly backwards. If transparency would lead to widespread opposition to a trade agreement, then that trade agreement should not be the policy of the United States.”
FTA with European Union kicks in
2-Aug-2013 Newsroom Panama
Free trade agreements signed by the European Union with Panama, Colombia, Honduras and Nicaragua came into force on Thursday August 1.
Big trading blocs moving at breakneck pace to raise free trade standards
22-May-2013 IP Watch
The pace to negotiate bilateral or plurilateral free trade agreements has been accelerating rapidly over the last month as the big trading blocs seem eager to position themselves in the race for market access and standards. Special report for Intellectual Property Watch.

    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.