Call to Action to Stop TPP

Starting Saturday, July 25–Friday, July 31st Country leaders and Chief Negotiators for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) will be meeting in Hawaii to try to finalise the “free trade” deal which involves 12 nations in the Pacific Rim. Signatory countries include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States and Vietnam with the prospect of adding South Korea, China and The Philippines. The TPP is designed to set binding rules that allow Multinational Corporations to dominate industries, land, resources and escape regulation. The TPP undermines sovereignty, human rights, efforts to create sustainable communities and limit climate change at the expense of the most marginalised, particularly women.

The crafting of this transnational legal regime has all been done behind closed doors. In the past five years and to this day, parliaments, civil society, media and the general public are excluded from the negotiating process. Meanwhile, over 600 US corporate advisors alongside officials from participating countries have access and influence over the agreements. But those who have to live with the results have no say.

The United States has made significant strides over the past few months to cement this political and economic influence in the Asia Pacific region. U.S. President Obama was given “fast track” authority over trade deal negotiations, which empowers the executive branch to sign trade agreements without congressional oversight, getting rid of any democratic process that allows lawmakers to analyze and change provisions in the TPP. In addition, Malaysia’s ranking in the US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report was recently improved, a clear manipulation for Malaysia to sign the TPP. There is a law in the United States that prevents them from entering intro trade deals with nations that earn the worst human-trafficking ranking. Downgrading Malaysia to Tier 2 from Tier 3, the worst ranking, allows the United States to enter into trade deals with Malaysia which was not otherwise possible.

We, women, civil society organisations and social movements from the Asia Pacific region have been campaigning for the past two years against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and we reaffirm our unequivocal opposition to the TPP and trade deals that put corporate profits before public interest. We believe that the TPP will significantly curtail the rights and freedom of ordinary people as well as the country’s policy space. We find the secrecy around negotiations particularly alarming, given the broad scope of provisions and the vast implications for national and local policies and regulations, particularly relating to public health, labour and local industry, the environment, and access to knowledge and technology.

Please join us between July 25 – 31st in amplifying our collective call for an absolute end to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and for the main text to be publicly released. We know this will expose the TPP for what it is: a rotten deal that trade people for profit!

Learn more about the TPP here:
Briefer
Tumblr page: http://stoptradingpeopleforprofit.tumblr.com/