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News from the movements

Civil society organisations push for transformative global investment rules
11-Dec-2024 SOMO
The Entebbe Declaration calls for justice and sustainability in global investment governance.
The case against a UK Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council
10-Dec-2024 Trade Justice Movement
For the UK, entering into a trade deal with the GCC would fly in the face of public opinion, offer few projected benefits, and send a worrying message about the priorities of the UK’s trade policy when it comes to human rights and climate.
EU-Mercosur threatens people’s right, the planet & democracy
6-Dec-2024 Friends of the Earth Europe
After more than 20 years of secretive negotiations, an agreement has been announced on the EU-Mercosur free-trade deal.
The Mercosur deal — why would the EU trust a man like Milei?
4-Dec-2024 EU Observer
The EU’s climate hypocrisy is exposed yet again: while Argentina’s far-right president Javier Milei threatens to exit the Paris Agreement, the EU is turning a deaf ear and rushing to finalise the climate-wrecking EU-Mercosur trade deal.
Seeds, UPOV91 and trade deals: our response to the Government position
3-Dec-2024 Transform Trade
The UK has an opportunity to lead by example, removing UPOV91 provisions from trade deals and redirecting development assistance toward farmer-led initiatives.
Energy Charter Treaty modernisation adopted, still undermines climate action
3-Dec-2024 Friends of the Earth Europe
Even after modernisation, the ECT continues to undermine European and global climate policies.
The AfCFTA and land in Africa: towards a surge in land grabbing?
2-Dec-2024 GRAIN
Given that the AfCFTA could lead to a rise in demand for African land from agricultural and other investors, and that climate policies are increasingly looking to land projects to “capture” carbon, the risks for local communities whose livelihoods rely on land will be great.
Bringing together social and environmental demands in the fight against FTAs
2-Dec-2024 bilaterals.org
In order to put an end to free trade agreements, it is essential to continue to link the different struggles for the defence of territories and their natural resources, for the social demands of the people, for life and for peace.
Thai CSOs’ letter to the EU chief negotiator regarding concerns over the ongoing FTA negotiation with Thailand
29-Nov-2024 Access to medicines
Civil society and non-government organizations in Thailand oppose the provisions proposed by the EU that will have a vast and adverse impact on access to medicines, universal health coverage scheme, agriculture, food sovereignty, consumer protection, and livelihoods of Thai people.
Want to do something good for farmers? Stop the EU-Mercosur trade deal
28-Nov-2024 Greenpeace
Farmers across Belgium, Poland and France took to the streets of Paris, Brussels and dozens of other cities and expressed their strong opposition to a trade deal between the EU and the “Mercosur” countries: Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The EU-Mercosur trade deal must be stopped – NOW!
28-Nov-2024 ETJC
No more toxic trade deals between the EU and Latin American countries.
Civil society groups unite to monitor the 4th round of Thailand-EU FTA negotiation
26-Nov-2024 Thaiplus Net
Thai civil society groups, including FTA Watch and the Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, have expressed serious concerns over the ongoing Thailand-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations. Key issues include stricter intellectual property rights, which could impact access to affordable medicines, and potential threats to food security and public health. The groups are urging the Thai government to prioritize public health and environmental concerns over corporate interests.
20 years of free trade in Morocco, the dominant class cashes in
25-Nov-2024 bilaterals.org
Even before the colonial era, Morocco was forced to sign several trade agreements. Formal independence has not changed the status quo, and the country’s trade remains closely linked to the former colonial powers, especially France.
Trade Gone Mad: exposing the dark side of "Free Trade"
25-Nov-2024 Local Futures
The animation "Trade Gone Mad" sheds light on the destructive impact of corporate-driven global trade. It highlights how so-called "free trade" agreements, often negotiated behind closed doors, empower multinational corporations to prioritize profits over people and the planet.
Thai and Swiss civil society unite to protect access to medicines and the Universal Health Coverage Scheme
21-Nov-2024 ITPC Global
Civil society groups in Thailand and Switzerland are urging the Thai government to maintain its stance against TRIPS+ provisions, which exceed the requirements of the World Trade Organization’s TRIPS Agreement. These groups argue that such provisions could significantly increase the cost of medicines and limit access for the Thai population.
European trade deals: Greenwashed but still dirty
18-Nov-2024 bilaterals.org
The strongest economic actors still find their way into the corridors of power of the EU, when we need the planet and the most vulnerable around the world to take power away from them.
A new colonialist wave through digital trade agreements
15-Nov-2024 Bot Populi
Analyzing the neo-colonial dynamics in digital trade agendas against the backdrop of WTO MC13.
Trump’s tariffs are nothing new – NZ’s real problem is the failing free trade system itself
15-Nov-2024 The Conversation
Headlines following Donald Trump’s election victory focused largely on single issues, such as how US tariff hikes would affect New Zealand’s exports but this oversimplifies and diverts attention from the more systemic challenges a second Trump presidency will pose.
Disputed grounds: Gold mining, resistance and investment arbitration in Türkiye
15-Nov-2024 SOMO
Large-scale mining projects highlight complex tensions between states, foreign investors, and local communities, leading to environmental and social risks for communities.
Climate Hypocrisy ahead of G20: New report exposes the dangers of Milei’s climate-wrecking economic reforms and why the EU-Mercosur trade deal should finally be dropped
13-Nov-2024 CAN Europe
A new report uncovers the climate-wrecking economic shock plans by Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei, and how the EU-Mercosur trade deal risks fueling Argentina’s social-ecological crisis and climate-breakdown.