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EU adopts Vietnam trade deals despite human rights concerns
12-Feb-2020 AP
European lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved free trade and investment deals between the EU and Vietnam, despite concerns about the human rights situation in the country.
Vietnam looks to burnish human rights image before EU trade vote
11-Feb-2020 South China Morning Post
The European Commission, which is responsible for negotiating the EU’s free trade deals, recognises Vietnam’s human rights record as a cause for concern. It stresses, however, that the deal will provide a platform to address such issues.
NGOs urge European Parliament to postpone consent to EU-Vietnam trade deals
5-Feb-2020 Human Rights Watch
Despite Vietnam’s failure to meaningfully meet repeated requests for human rights improvements, a large majority in the International Trade Committee (INTA) voted in favour of granting swift consent to the agreements.
Signing of Switzerland-Turkey trade deal put on pause
3-Feb-2020 Swiss Info
The Swiss government has delayed fully signing off on the expanded free-trade deal between EFTA and Turkey amid concern about human rights abuses.
Civil society raises concerns about UK-Morocco trade
24-Jan-2020 Western Sahara Campaign UK
Civil society organisations raise human rights concerns as UK seeks to roll over Morocco association agreement without due attention to the ongoing Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara.
MEPs: Don’t waste your chance to change Vietnam
15-Jan-2020 Human Rights Watch
In coming weeks, the European Parliament is expected to take a binding decision on whether to approve, postpone or reject the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and Investment Protection Agreement (IPA).
’When two elephants fight’: EU, Indonesia tussle over resources
22-Dec-2019 Aljazeera
As disputes over palm oil and nickel head to World Trade Organization, affected residents say they feel trapped.
Jailed journalist urges EU not to ratify FTA with Vietnam
4-Dec-2019 Radio Free Asia
Pham said of human rights in particular, it would go against the EU’s founding principles to condone the human rights record of Vietnam through the EVFTA.
EU-Singapore trade agreement: human rights in the spotlight (may be)
26-Nov-2019 AsiaNews.It
The free trade pact will test the European bloc’s ability to link trade liberalization to humanitarian issues while trying to enhance ties with ASEAN members. Singapore is a key trading partner for the EU, but its human rights record is troubling.
Multilateralism, lack of development and violence: Central American migrants in transit through Mexico
9-Nov-2019 https://bilaterals.org/?multilatera...
Joint NGO letter on EU-Vietnam free trade agreement
5-Nov-2019 Human Rights Watch
Vietnamese and international civil society organisations, are writing to urge you to ensure that the European Parliament postpones its consent to the EVFTA and IPA until certain human rights benchmarks are met by the Vietnamese government.
Open letter to the European Parliament: Human rights before free trade with Vietnam
3-Oct-2019 ACAT
ACAT and 47 Vietnamese and international organizations urge members of the European Parliament to delay consideration of the free trade agreement with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
On China, principles vs pragmatism
16-Sep-2019 The Interpreter
Australia needs to consider its moments to push human rights issues with its largest trading partner.
Australia should delay free trade deal with Hong Kong, ACTU says
28-Aug-2019 The Guardian
Canberra must tread cautiously amid the political instability, the peak union body tells a parliamentary committee.
EU-Vietnam trade deal shows EU will bend human rights standards if the price is right
17-Aug-2019 ASEAN Today
The new EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (FTA) shows the EU will look past human rights violations to push a trade agenda. But as FTAs with ASEAN states don’t offer the EU the same economic benefits, it’s unlikely the bloc will pen more in the near future.
EU seems to have forgiven Thai military ruler
8-Aug-2019 Asia Times
EU is gaining a reputation in Southeast Asia for being hypocritical. Clearly, now, pragmatism is coming before principles, and values are to be provisional to trade policy.
EU-Philippine free trade agreement still on the table
14-Jul-2019 Inquirer Net
The EU Commission or the Council never have adopted any decision to suspend the EU - Philippines FTA negotiation
The EU’s human rights and free trade conundrum
9-Jul-2019 Asia Times
Today the EU looks to be perfectly happy to expand trade with authoritarian regimes with appalling human rights records when the economic gains are sufficiently large.
Human rights concerns stall PH free trade talks with EU
9-Jul-2019 Inquirer Net
The European Union has suspended negotiations for a free trade deal with the Philippines partly due to concerns over human rights protection as the government wages war against illegal drugs.
340+ organisations call on the EU to immediately halt trade negotiations with Brazil
18-Jun-2019 S2B
In an open letter, over 340 civil society organisations are demanding that the European Union immediately halt free trade agreement negotiations with the Mercosur bloc (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) on the grounds of deteriorating human rights and environmental conditions in Brazil.