Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

July 1, 2019, Media Release:The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations between 16 countries continue in Melbourne behind closed doors. The Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET) and other organisations* are hosting a Public Forum to discuss the social and environmental risks of the RCEP trade deal today at 6:30-8:30pm at Trades Hall, 54 Victoria Street, Carlton.

June 27, 2019: Fifty-two diverse community groups representing millions have written an open letter to the Trade Minister opposing damaging proposals in the RCEP. 

June 24 2019: Leaders of the ten ASEAN countries met in Bangkok on June 22 and urged support for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade and investment deal between ASEAN and India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. But community organisation advocates meeting before the ASEAN summit argued that the RCEP development model favours international investor interests over people and the environment.

June 3, 2019: Based in Victoria and concerned about the social and environmental risks of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement? Join AFTINET's campaign events in Melbourne on July 1-2, as the Australian government hosts the next round of RCEP negotiations.

May 27, 2019: A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and European research groups analyses the history of trade agreement provisions that seek to “harmonise”  government regulation dealing with health and environmental regulation. The study includes World Trade Organisation agreements, and more recent regional and bilateral trade agreements.

May 14, 2019: A new article by Shalini Bhutani, a legal researcher and policy analyst based in New Delhi, India, looks at the role that international trade rules have played in expanding intellectual property (IP) rights for global seed and biotech corporations and undermining farmers’ right to collect and use seeds.

May 13, 2019: Imagine there’s a new government elected on May 18, say a Labor government that relies on Green and Centre Alliance support in the Senate.  AFTINET convenor Dr Patricia Ranald explains how bad rules in trade agreements could threaten the implementation of progressive policies on TAFE and climate change.

May 7, 2019: AFTINET's analysis of political parties’ international trade policies has been published on the Peals and Irritations blog. 

May 1, 2019: Read AFTINET's new explainer on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership - a dangerous trade agreement that the Australian government is negotiating with 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Monday, March 18, 2019: Third World Network Researcher Prathibha Sivasubramanian has pointed out the strong policy clash between India and leaked chapters in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership over medicine patents and investor rights to sue governments (ISDS). She urged India’s government to stand by its policies.