iPolitics | Jun 14, 2013

The TPP quietly comes to Vancouver for mini-negotiating round

By BJ Siekierski

First reported by the Peruvian press, but confirmed by Trade Minister Ed Fast’s office on Friday, an inter-sessional Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiating round is quietly taking place in Vancouver over the next few days — the first TPP negotiations to take place on Canadian soil.

According to an article that was published in Andina earlier this week, negotiators are gathering in Vancouver from June 14 to June 16 to continue work on the TPP’s investment chapter ahead of the eighteenth official round in Malaysia in mid-July.

Despite it being the first time negotiators have gathered in Canada, however, the mini-round wasn’t publicized by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade — only making it likelier to fuel ongoing criticism of the secrecy surrounding the TPP.

It’s also unknown at this point whether or not there is any Canadian stakeholder participation in the Vancouver inter-sessional negotiations.

As University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist showed through the results of an access to information request in May, some groups have been required by DFAIT to sign non-disclosure agreements in order to be provided with “access to certain sensitive information of the department concerning or related to the TPP negotiations”.

While the government has denied these stakeholders see negotiating texts, testifying before the international trade committee earlier this month, Geist told members he was nonetheless concerned by the two-tier approach to access.

“It is deeply troubling that DFAIT has established a secret insider group, with some companies and industries associations being granted access to consultations as well as opportunities to learn more about the agreement and Canada’s negotiating position,” he said.