About AFTINET:
AFTINET is a national network of community organisations and many individuals concerned about trade and investment policy.
AFTINET grew out of the successful campaign by
community organisations against the Multilateral Agreement on
Investment (MAI), which had attempted to restrict the ability of
governments to regulate both investment and key areas of social policy.
The collapse of the 1999 Seattle World Trade
Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Meeting and of the 2003 Cancun WTO
Ministerial Meeting, and the recent collapse in negotiations in July
2008 has shown that the world trading system is failing to meet the
needs of developing countries for fairer trade rules which do not erode
social policies.
Community organisations have continued the
debate about international trade agreements and have demanded greater
accountability by the Australian government for its role in the WTO and
bilateral trade agreements like the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement.
AFTINET supplies education materials, regular
bulletins and speakers at public events. We make submissions to
government and opposition parties to change Australian trade policy. We
form links with similar organisations in other countries to argue for
different and fairer rules for international trade and investment. To
see the work that we're doing currently see our campaigns.
Whilst AFTINET does not sell fair-traded products for more information about companies that do please see our links page.
To become a member/supporter of AFTINET click here.
AFTINET Principles
There is widespread concern that current trade
policy gives priority to the flow of goods, services, investment and
finance at the expense of local development, protection of the
environment and human rights.
Trade agreements can restrict the scope of
legitimate government regulation in many areas. Under the guise of
deregulation and free trade, regulatory powers are in fact transferred
to international institutions beyond the reach of democratic
accountability.
Trade disputes processes, conducted behind
closed doors, have defined environmental regulation, food safety
regulation, and local industry policies as barriers to trade. These
decisions can be enforced through trade sanctions.
There
is a wealth of international law developed through the United Nations
(UN) on human rights, labour rights, cultural development, rights of
indigenous people, the environment and health and safety. UN processes
are more transparent and accountable than those of the WTO, and its
agreements are enacted through domestic legislation in each member
country. In some cases WTO disputes processes have undermined
established principles recognised in international environment and
health law such as the precautionary principle, that is, the right to
restrict potential dangers to health and environment.
Thus trade processes can deliver favourable
trade and investment conditions for some corporations but foster a race
to the bottom on regulatory standards. Developing country government
and non-government organisations have criticised the lack of
transparency of WTO process and its domination by the governments of
the most powerful economies.
We reject a "fortress Australia" protectionist
strategy and welcome the development of fair trading relationships with
all countries. However we believe that trade and investment policy
should be based on local conditions and fair regulatory standards and
should be decided through democratically accountable processes.
AFTINET Aims and Objectives
• a critical re-assessment of the WTO and other trade structures and dispute processes;
• greater public discussion and accountability for government trade policy and for international trade negotiation processes;
• a trade and investment framework which does
not erode local ability to regulate on issues of economic development,
the environment, human rights and labour rights;
• more effective representation of developing
countries and more effective international regulation through the
United Nations on the environment, human rights and labour rights.
AFTINET will
• monitor trade and investment negotiation processes;
• establish contacts with similar international networks;
• exchange information and basic educational material on trade issues;
• raise community awareness and debate through public events and activities and
• seek to change trade and investment policy based on these principles
JOIN AFTINET
You can become an individual or organisational
member/supporter of AFTINET. Subscribers receive the same benefits as
members but don't have voting rights and are not bound by the
constitution. For more information on how to join click here.
