ISDS Case Map
sovereignty | democracy
The social networks, social organisations and trade unions gathered together at the seminar: "UNASUR: conflicting interests" held in Rio de Janeiro, 12-13 March 2008 and reached the following conclusions
Developed countries see free trade agreements as forming part of a two-pronged strategy: to use international law to lay down market rules; and to give the appearance of legality to a system that allows States and their people to be exploited, robbed of their resources and wealth by excluding them from the international community and then legitimizing this exclusion
The NZ Green Party is calling on Labour to halt discussions on an investment treaty because of the threat the treaty poses to our sovereignty and our environmental standards. This follows the announcement today that the United States is seriously considering joining negotiations about an investment treaty between the P4 treaty partners of New Zealand, Chile, Singapore and Brunei.
States around the US are growing increasingly worried about the threats posed to their laws and regulations by the secret tribunals that resolve disputes in international trade. "Free trade agreements are to state sovereignty and economic development what global climate change is to the environment and natural resources," said state Sen. Virginia Lyons, D-Chittenden.
It is politically inconceivable that the Democratic majority in Congress -- which voted against CAFTA when it was approved here -- would move to punish Costa Rica for its voters having rejected the same agreement.
While the defenders of conventional globalization proclaim its benefits, economic as much as political, in Latin America the conflicts generated by openness to trade and international finance are mounting concerning democracy and national autonomy.
The Bolivian Deputy Minister of Economic Relations and Foreign Trade Pablo Guzman said that his country will demand sovereignty of natural resources, public services and intellectual property in its negotiations with the European Union.
Nobel laureate and former World Bank chief economist Joseph Stiglitz believes that no country should enter into free trade agreements with the US, as none of the developing countries has benefited greatly from them.
We call on all freedom-loving Filipinos not to allow yet another surrender of our country to Japan. Reject the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement!
Looking at what has been negotiated, it is clear the process is going to end in a way where Korea loses if things turn out well and loses even more if things don't turn out well.
