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US wants FTA with Colombia while human rights deterioration culminates in massacre
While the United States considers a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Colombia, the human rights situation in the Magdalena Medio region of Colombia has deteriorated dramatically, culminating on the 17th of August with a massacre in the township of El Dorado.
Canada’s free trade talks with Honduras draw criticism
As Prime Minister Stephen Harper continues his Latin America tour amid global market chaos, he is making stops in countries he hopes will expand Canada’s trade and make it less dependent on the turbulent U.S. economy.
Human rights impact assessments: public consultation
Olivier De Schutter invites States, United Nations departments and agencies, national human rights institutions, civil society and other relevant stakeholders to participate in the public consultation on the draft “Guiding Principles on Human Rights Impact Assessments of Trade and Investment Agreements.” The document seeks to set out key principles that should guide human rights impact assessments for trade and investment agreements between States.
Key says child labour not part of FTA
India’s use of child labour is unacceptable but free trade agreement negotiations are not the forum to deal with it, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says.
Europe links Indian FTA with Kashmir solution
In a significant development, the European Parliament has linked the Kashmir dispute with the signing of the EU’s proposed Free Trade Agreement with India.
Critics call trade pact lose-lose deal for Colombian labour
Two days ago, on Jun. 7, Ana Fabricia Cordoba was killed in the Santa Cruz neighbourhood of Medellin, Colombia. Her assassination coincides with renewed efforts by free-trade advocates in Washington to pressure the US Congress to pass the long-debated US-Colombia FTA.
TPPA under fire over human rights
The controversial Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is under fire over human rights issues.
Panama human rights problems spotlighted in Washington
The list of US criticisms of human rights infringements in Panama under the Martinelli administration continues to grow and the president, unlike the leaders of other countries seeking an FTA, has still not been invited to the White House.
HRW celebra iniciativa para vincular TLC con Colombia a derechos humanos
El grupo de defensa de los derechos humanos Human Rights Watch celebró hoy la iniciativa presentada por seis miembros del Congreso de EE.UU. para vincular la ratificación del TLC con Colombia a mejoras en los estándares de derechos humanos.
EPAs bound to stir unhealthy competition
Kenya Human Rights Commission has called on the government to discontinue Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) negotiations with the European Union arguing that if signed would deepen dependency on Europe.
MEPs protest FTA with Colombia
Members of the European Parliament say that the EU’s free trade agreement with Colombia should not be approved as there has been little progress on human rights in the Andean nation, reports ABC.
Report: Human rights impact assessments for trade and investment agreements [EN, ES, FR]
A new report setting out key issues and methodologies for conducting human rights impact assessments for trade and investment agreements is now available on the Human Rights Impact Resource Centre website.
NGOs urge respect of rights in China trade talks
Swiss non-governmental organisations have called on the government to push for human rights in planned negotiations with China on a free trade agreement.
The Second Conquest: The EU free trade agreement with Colombia and Peru
This FDCL/TNI publication contains an overview of the FTA’s history, of human rights violations in Colombia and Peru as well as a critical analysis of the draft agreement which recently leaked to the public.
ECFA overlooks human rights: watchdog group
A watchdog organization yesterday accused the Taiwanese government of overlooking human rights and environmental issues while developing closer economic ties with China.
EU lawmakers urge probe of Colombian intelligence operations
EU parliamentarians have called on the Commission to look into Colombian intelligence operations in Europe designed to ‘neutralize the influence’ of critics of the Colombian government in parliament, the UNHCR and NGOs. EU officials fear that an investigation could torpedo ratification of the free-trade agreement, which they see as crucial support of Colombia.
Sri Lanka rejects EU’s rights conditions for trade benefits, saying they violate sovereignty
Sri Lanka’s trade benefits with the world’s biggest consumer market are due to expire Aug. 15. The EU had asked Sri Lanka to give a written commitment by July 1 pledging to improve human rights before it would consider renewing them.
’India and the EU are both committed to universal values’
The European Union high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice-president of the European Commission, Catherine Ashton, is currently visiting India to enhance Indo-EU ties. Ashish Ray asked her a few questions:
MPs divided on Canada-Colombia trade agreement
Increasing trade between Canada and Colombia would help fight drug traffickers and improve human rights in the South American country, says Saskatchewan MP Brad Trost. But critics say the country’s poor human-rights record should put any free-trade plans on hold.
FTA with EU stuck on non-trade barriers
Apart from trade issues, the free-trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and the European Union (EU) continue to be stuck over non-trade issues like human rights, child labour and environment.