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News from the movements

International Chamber of Commerce former arbitrator says ISDS has “lost battle of public opinion” and “legitimacy”
1-Feb-2024     AFTINET
To maintain the system, he proposes that business should shift away from ISDS in state-to state trade and investment agreements, and instead move to ISDS in contracts between individual investors and states.
Interim analysis of JSI E-commerce Chairs’ text 15 January 2024, INF/ECOM/85
30-Jan-2024    
The 15 January 2024 chair’s text (INF/ECOM/85) for the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on electronic commerce is to be discussed in a round from 30 January to 2 February 2024.
Explainer: The different types of investor-state dispute settlement
26-Jan-2024     bilaterals.org
What type of ISDS arbitration has been the most used by corporations? Why is it important to understand the different forms of ISDS?
Rejection of free trade agreements and the demand for a decent income at the heart of farmers’ mobilizations in Europe
26-Jan-2024     La Via Campesina
We demand an immediate end to negotiations on the FTA with MERCOSUR countries and a moratorium on all other FTAs currently being negotiated.
100+ organisations call on MEPs to vote against EU-Chile Deal
24-Jan-2024     S2B Network
As concerned members of European civil society organizations and trade unions, we write to urgently draw your attention to the upcoming vote on the EU-Chile advanced framework agreement.
Pakistan agrees to new ISDS provisions, despite previous policy to terminate ISDS agreements
23-Jan-2024     AFTINET
Pakistan’s previous policy, initiated in 2021, sought to terminate its bilateral investment treaties to avoid further ISDS cases by international investors.
Letter: Civil society calls on UK Prime Minister to ensure UK-India free trade agreement does not threaten access to affordable medicines
23-Jan-2024     MSF
MSF and over 50 UK-based civil society organisations and individuals sent this open letter to United Kingdom Prime Minister, urging him to commit that the UK-India Free Trade Agreement will not gut the public health safeguards that are in India’s intellectual property laws.
A climate-denier Milei and a hypocritical EU-Mercosur pact
22-Jan-2024     Friends of the Earth Europe
In the rush to finalise the controversial EU-Mercosur trade deal before the European elections in June this year, its promoters appear willing to shake hands with Argentina's new far-right president, Javier Milei — a known climate change denier.
Australia announces trade deal negotiations with UAE, despite human rights and labour concerns
16-Jan-2024     AFTINET
Critics have highlighted that the UAE is only Australia’s 19th largest trading partner, and have said that the economic benefits are outweighed by the reputational risk Australia takes by implicitly endorsing the UAE’s poor human rights and labour practices through an FTA.
Canada and US governments shut down ability of Canadian NGOs to comment in trade dispute over Mexico’s GM corn ban
10-Jan-2024     CBAN
A trade dispute panel has rescinded an invitation to Canadian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to submit official comments in the dispute under the Canada-US-Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA) over Mexico’s phase-out of genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) corn.