AFTINET submission to the inquiry on the government’s trade policy approach
September 28, 2023: The Joint Standing Committee on Trade Investment and Growth is conducting this enquiry at the request of the Trade Minister.
Increased calls for UK to exit Energy Charter Treaty following the EU’s decision to withdraw
19 September, 2023: Following failing efforts to ‘modernise’ the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) and the EU Commission formal proposal to collectively exit the agreement, the UK is facing increasing pressure to withdraw from the ECT.
WHO Pandemic Agreement could be a “missed opportunity”
18 September, 2023: Experts are confident that the Pandemic Agreement, the latest draft of which is being discussed this week, will be adopted in May 2024 at the World Health Assembly meeting but there are doubts on how meaningful the agreement will be.
AFTINET submission on the WHO Agreement to address future pandemics: changes needed to avoid repeating mistakes of COVID
11 September, 2023: Australia is part of the ongoing World Health Organisation negotiations to build the international response for future pandemics, through both improving the existing International Health Regulations and negotiating a new Global Pandemic Agreement .
AFTINET comments on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Supply Chain text
September 9, 2023: Negotiations for this text were completed in May and the text was released on September 8. The text may be signed in November 2023, after which it will be tabled in Parliament and reviewed by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties. It could come into force in the first quarter of 2024.
Court-ordered release of South Africa COVID contracts show huge vaccine markup
7 September, 2023: On August 17, the South African NGO Health Justice Initiative won a huge victory when the Pretoria High Court ruled that South Africa had to make its COVID procurement contracts public.
Southeast Asia strategy a chance to stop investors like Clive Palmer suing Australia for billions
September 6, 2023 AFTINET Media release
Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 announced today will “review the scope of existing Free Trade Agreements to determine priorities for agreement upgrade negotiations.”
AFTINET Submission to the CPTPP 5 Year Review: rights for corporations to sue governments and weak labour and environment standards
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP), a free trade agreement between 11 countries; Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam, has now been in force for 5 years. This milestone means the CPTPP has to undergo a 5-year post-implementation review, which considers the impacts of the agreement since it has come into force.
AFTINET explainer on critical minerals: strong regulation needed to protect people and planet
30 August, 2023: This two-page explainer explores the links between Australian policy and bilateral critical minerals agreements, both of which aim to aim to diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on China, and Free Trade Agreements.
Big pharma opposes WHO and EU attempts to prioritise health over patents in future pandemics
28 August, 2023: Negotiations to improve the international response for future pandemics are underway through talks for a new World Health Organisation Global Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the existing International Health Regulations.