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human rights


No more free rides in free trade deals
The Swiss narrowly voted in favour of a free trade deal with Indonesia on Sunday. Will future agreements also have to win popular support?
Hong Kong activists urge EU not to ratify new deal with China
Hong Kong democracy activists have warned the EU it must not ratify its planned new investment deal with China at a time when Beijing is tearing up international obligations to the people of Hong Kong.
China’s labour rights issues a threat to its trade deal with EU
In the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment is expected to face intense resistance from some European lawmakers, while international unionists, who say the pact will do nothing to stop human rights abuses or protect labour rights in China, have vowed to ramp up pressure over the deal.
Norway’s youth parties call for end to China free trade talks
The youth wings of Norway’s main political parties have signed a letter calling for the country to rescind its normalization agreement with China and stop free trade negotiations due to China’s human rights violations.
The struggle in the Western Sahara combines old and new colonialism, says Sahrawi activist
The EU claims to be a place of democracy and human rights but it is neglecting the reality in the Western Sahara and conducting its policies in full awareness of the situation.
100+ China experts and human rights activists slam “naïve” EU-China deal for “entrenching Europe’s strategic dependency on China”
The open statement notes that the agreement appears not to take into account the steep deterioration of rights and freedoms in the mainland.
UK free to make trade deals with genocidal regimes after Commons vote
The government has narrowly defeated a move requiring the government to reconsider any trade deal with a country found by the high court to be committing genocide.
EU-China investment deal lacks teeth on forced labor but could still be derailed
Potential gains not worth cost of overlooking ’blatant human rights violations’ in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet, and against Taiwan’: French senator
EU will not ask China to sign forced labor ban before ratifying investment deal, says French minister
France will insist on a ‘calendar’ for Beijing’s reforms instead.
Artists and academics in Montréal oppose Canada-Israel free trade agreement in stand for Palestinian rights
More than 150 artists and academics and over 20 trade unions, cultural organizations, student groups and indigenous collectives in Montréal are calling on the Canadian government to cancel the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement.
Xinjiang forced labour concerns threaten to derail China’s investment deal with EU
Officials say European Parliament could refuse to endorse deal over Beijing’s failure to commit to International Labour Organisation standards
EU-China comprehensive agreement on investment: A scoping study
Given China’s unique position, the study concludes that the EU must ensure that particularly strong protections for EU regulatory policy space are included in any future investment deal.
Deal with climate change, not climate deniers: How the EU-Mercosur trade deal threatens the environment and human rights
This trade agreement aims to boost an export-oriented agricultural model that harms small-scale farmers, indigenous peoples, traditional and rural communities, in Mercosur and EU countries.
Lords vote to revoke UK trade deals with countries committing genocide
Ministers’ scope to sign trade deals with governments that abuse human rights have been severely reduced after a double defeat in the House of Lords.
The EU-Mercosur agreement: increasing pesticide use and GMOs, and undermining healthy food production and standards
The EU-Mercosur agreement is inconsistent with the EU’s recently announced Farm-to-Fork Strategy, which aims to dramatically reduce pesticide use and completely ban any residue on food of pesticides not registered for use in the EU.
RCEP has limited trade gains and ignores labour and human rights
Australia’s recent signature of the RCEP has attracted world attention for its significance in consolidating Asia-Pacific geopolitical relations. But in celebrating this agreement, we seem to have forgotten its unfinished business regarding labour and human rights.
Why is Europe quiet about Thailand’s protests?
Sources say that Brussels is keeping its powder dry in case the situation deteriorates further in Thailand. Yet it doesn’t want to annoy Bangkok pre-emptively lest it weakens relations.
Labour rights key to resuming EU-Thailand trade talks
With a possible resumption of talks on the EU-Thailand free trade agreement on the cards, the European Union is being urged to require labour reform as a precondition to negotiations.
EU parks trade deal with Mercosur over environmental concerns
As European nations express environmental concerns, the ratification of the EU-Mercosur trade deal isn’t even close to starting.
Time is ticking to stop the EU-Mercosur trade deal
For the EU Commission to remain steadfast in supporting this deal, whilst simultaneously tabling an increase of the EU’s 2030 climate target, is entirely contradictory.