July 26, 2017: Women's organisations, including small farmers and informal workers, were prominent in RCEP protests held in Hyderabad this week. The Hindu reports that increased global corporate rights could have severe impacts on women. For example, women farmers use seeds saved from the previous harvest. Patenting of seeds by global companies would price them out of reach.
Hundreds marched in the streets of Hyderabad on 24 July 2017 protesting RCEP negotiations, which include proposals for deregulation of services, stronger monopolies on medicines and seeds, and allowing corporations to sue governments. There was also a flash protest at the negotiating venue.
July 24, 2017: As RCEP talks and protests take place in Hyderabad, this video shows the negative impacts of the RCEP corporate agenda on Indian farmers, and on regional access to medicines and essential services.
July 21, 2017 There are proposals in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that government regulation should have no compulsory disclosure of source codes, no restriction on transfer and processing of data outside the country, and no requirements for computing facilities to be locally based. These proposals raise questions about the ability of governments to have effective national regulation of data privacy and data security.
July 19, 2017: India is host to the 19th round of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership at Hyderabad this week and next. But Indian society itself is strongly opposed to draft clauses in the RCEP.
The New Indian Express reported on July 17 the fears of Kiran Vissa of the Raithu Swarajya Vedika, farmers’ organisation.
July 18, 2017: Foreign Investor rights to sue governments is a hot button issue at the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) talks underway in Hyderabad, India, on July 17-28, 2017.
India’s Mohdi government wants to be a champion of globalisation and free trade, and India wants more Foreign Direct Investment. But India is hurting from cases already mounting against it.
June 20, 2017: The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a mega-regional trade deal, which if adopted, will cover half of the world’s population, including 420 million small family farms which produce 80% of the region’s food.A new infographic from GRAIN shows what this agreement will mean for food and farmers in the region, based on current leaked drafts.
May 31 2017: After the latest round of negotiations, it’s clear major differences remain between RCEP countries, despite a general statement issued after talks were completed. It appears that India is resisting tariff cuts on goods as well as TPP-like proposals on ISDS and medicine monopolies.
4 May 2017: A broad coalition of civil society organisations from the Asia Pacific region are mobilising in Manila and calling on their governments to say 'No to the RCEP’ as negotiators meet there this week.