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human rights

Stronger plant variety protection may threaten the right to food
22-Oct-2014 The Berne Declaration
Governments in industrial countries regularly put pressure on developing countries to introduce stringent plant variety protection (PVP) regimes and to adhere to the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention, without duly considering its consequences on the enjoyment of human rights of vulnerable groups.
End "booming military trade" between EU and Israel, say Palestinian rights groups
24-Sep-2014 Electronic Intifada
The European Union’s key trade and political agreement with the European Union should be suspended in response to the recent attack on Gaza, according to 24 Palestinian campaign groups.
EU must tear up association agreement with Israel
8-Sep-2014 GUE/NGL
After a visit to the Makassed Islamic Charitable Hospital in East Jerusalem where they met victims of Israel’s latest attack on Gaza, GUE/NGL MEPs are calling for an immediate end to the EU-Israeli association agreement.
Rights group files complaint over EU-Vietnam trade talks
14-Aug-2014 VoA
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) says it has filed a complaint with the European Union over its free trade talks with Vietnam.
An urgent challenge for the BDS movement
5-Aug-2014 Socialist Worker
On July 10, the Palestinian BDS National Committee issued a call: "We urge people of conscience to intensify their pressure on governments to impose a military embargo on Israel and to suspend free trade and bilateral agreements with it until it fulfills its obligations under international law."
Come clean on Malaysia’s trade with Israel, says PKR MP
5-Aug-2014 Malay Mail
A PKR lawmaker demanded today that Putrajaya reveal the trade relationship between pro-Palestine Malaysia and Israel amid the bloody conflict in Gaza.
The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty
1-Aug-2014 ABColombia
The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty that was ratified by the House of Commons on 10 July 2014 poses grave risks to the achievement of human rights and the successful implementation of agreements currently being made in the peace dialogues between the FARC guerrilla and the Colombian Government in Havana.
Maldives to boycott Israeli products, annul bilateral agreements
22-Jul-2014 Minivan News
Explaining the boycott, Mohamed Hussain ‘Mundhu’ Shareef, minister at the President’s Office, said “Israeli investment is not important for us. We want investments from countries with human rights practices that are acceptable to us.”
NDP: Harper gov’t report on human rights abuses in Colombia is a ’sham’
21-May-2014 Canadian Press
The New Democratic Party and civil society groups are accusing the Harper government of whitewashing human rights abuses in Colombia in the latest report to Parliament on the impact of Canada’s free trade agreement with the South American country.
EU demands human rights clause linked to economic partnership agreement with Japan
9-May-2014 Japan Times
The European Union is insisting on a human rights clause linked to a proposed economic partnership agreement (EPA) with Japan. It allows Brussels to suspend the trade deal if Japan engages in human rights violations
In Colombia, free trade brings more poverty and more killings
5-May-2014 TruthOut
Colombian unions and farmers opposed the free trade agreement strongly, and today hold it responsible for increasing poverty while fostering a climate in which corporate rights are paramount and labor rights hardly exist.
EU-Vietnam FTA: GUE, Greens, and civil society obtain partial but important victory for human rights
23-Apr-2014 FIDH
A resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 17 April 2014 recommended the European Commission address key human rights concerns during FTA negotiations with Vietnam.
Vietnam frees dissidents as it eyes US & regional trade deals
16-Apr-2014
Vietnam has released two more high-profile dissidents, making a total of four political prisoners freed over the past three weeks.
Groups decry ’meaningless’ consultation in Canada-Colombia FTA human rights impact assessment process
26-Mar-2014 rabble.ca
This is the third time the Conservative government has attempted to produce an impact assessment of its 2011 FTA with Colombia, as required by law, and each time the final report has been completely inadequate.
Open letter regarding the future trade and investment agreement between the EU and Egypt
26-Mar-2014 FIDH
In a letter addressed to the representatives of the European Commission, FIDH, CNCD 11.11.11 and Aitec express their concerns on the way human rights are taken into account in the impact assessment regarding the future DCFTA between the EU and Egypt.
EU-Vietnam Free Trade agreement must protect human rights and be preceded by a human rights impact assessment
10-Mar-2014 FIDH
The European Parliament will vote a resolution on “the state of play in the EU-Vietnam Free Trade agreement”. While not having a legislative aim at this stage, it represents an important opportunity for the EP to formulate the human rights safeguards that will ensure its latter consent, say FIDH in this open letter to MEPs.
FIAN launches international action: TTIP and TPP void
8-Jan-2014 FIAN
FIAN International launched an action letter addressing the EU, USA and a number of countries negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) asking civil society networks, organizations and people interested in supporting the campaign to circulate, sign and send the letter to their local authorities
The alternative trade mandate
26-Nov-2013 TNI
The Alternative Trade Mandate has been developed in extensive civil society consultations all over Europe.
Another non-report on human rights and free trade with Colombia
5-Jul-2013 Ottawa Citizen
On June 14th, the Canadian government quietly tabled its second report on the human rights impacts of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. The report avoids any examination of the impact of Canadian investment — including oil, gas and mining – in Colombia.
The EU and Azerbaijan: Mismatched objectives
20-Jun-2013 European Voice
Brussels wants to diversify its energy resources away from Russia. It is offering benefits such as free trade and visa liberalisation and is seeking comprehensive reforms across a range of areas as a precondition for closer ties. But Azerbaijan’s human-rights situation is on a rapid decline.