:: Across the board ::

This section contains news and analysis of sweeping developments that affect the overall push and pull towards FTAs and bilateral investment treaties. This means major trends relating to bilateralism, often with global consequences, and other cross-cutting issues. New developments arising from US politics, the WTO or South-South alliance-building, for instance, are often reported here as they tend to have systemic impacts.

last update: May 2012

Regulatory harmonization in international trade: A categorical or conditional imperative?

26-Aug-2016 Global Policy Journal

The idea that regulatory convergence leads to "more trade" stands on weak empirical grounds.

Free people from ‘dictatorship’ of 0.01%

10-Aug-2016 Deccan Chronicle

Through RCEP, Asian countries may be dragged into the TPP under pressure of harmonisation, especially on issues related to seed, warns Vandana Shiva

Americanization of the BIT universe

9-Jun-2016 SSRN

Friendship, Commerce and Navigation (FCN) treaties are more than a historical precursor to international investment agreements (IIA) and continue to influence and inspire modern investment treaty design.

UN Treaty on transnational corporations, other business enterprises & human rights: Options for justice

31-May-2016 S2B

This report discusses options for the following aspects of the treaty: access to remedy; enforcement mechanisms; and its relationship with the trade and investment regime.

6th global to local webinar on May 24th

20-May-2016 Local Futures

The Global to Local Webinar Series addresses key issues in the global to local debate.

Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems

18-Apr-2016 The Guardian

Where neoliberal policies cannot be imposed domestically, they are imposed internationally, through trade treaties.

This is a really dumb way to fix poverty

11-Apr-2016 Huffington Post

Hint: it involves taking money from poor people.

An inconvenient truth about free trade

1-Apr-2016 Bloomberg

“We have developed a politician who encourages the most dangerous kind of citizenship a democracy can know—the panicky, grasping, idealless kind.”

The era of free trade might be over. That’s a good thing.

18-Mar-2016 New York Times

In the United States, globalization is widely accepted as a contributor to both wage stagnation and the growth in inequality.

What's the problem with free trade?

16-Mar-2016 Huffington Post

Economists say that free trade allows us to take advantage of the "comparative advantages" offered by other countries. Unfortunately, low labor and environmental-protection costs are seen as a comparative advantage.

:: Across the board ::

Referenced sites

21st Century Trade Agreements: Implications for Long-Run Development Policy

#A18DoA - Global day of action to defeat free trade and investment treaties

Alianza Social Continental

ICC

Movimientos.org

Pambazuka

People over profit

Peoples Global Action

Regional/Multilateral Integration Agreements

SOMO

South Centre

Stop fast track!

ISDS Case Map