November 3, 2020: The controversial PACER-Plus trade deal between Australia, New Zealand and initially 14 Pacific Island countries will come into force for only eight countries in December.
November 2, 2020: A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) – Whoever Finds the Vaccine Must Share It - shows the grave danger of failure to provide COVID-19 vaccines universally and fairly, as the global community witnesses a third wave of the pandemic in the northern winter.
October 28, 2020: The Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership (RCEP), a massive trade deal negotiated in secret, is expected to be signed on 14 November 2020, by hologram!
The RCEP involves Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea plus the 10 ASEAN countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It will cover 2.2 billion people – almost 30% of the world’s population.
MEDIA RELEASE October 27, 2020
“There is a pattern emerging of Australian mining companies suing developing countries for billions of dollars in unfair international tribunals,” AFTINET Convener Dr Patricia Ranald said today in an article published on the Michael West website.
MEDIA RELEASE
October 26, 2020
“It is disappointing that Australia reportedly opposed proposals from India and South Africa to make COVID-19 treatments and vaccines more affordable and available to low-income countries at the World Trade Organisation Council on the Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement on October 16,” AFTINET Convener Dr Patricia Ranald said today.
October 21, 2020: Friends of the Earth have produced a 2 minute video clip on the threat of Investor State Dispute Settlement claims against government actions to contain the pandemic.
October 20, 2020: South Africa and India called on the World Trade Organisation on October 2, 2020, to waive intellectual property rules that could impeded access to treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 pandemic programs.
October 13, 2020: The 15-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will hold its 10th Ministerial Meeting on the sidelines of the 37th ASEAN Summit, scheduled for November 11-15, 2020, hosted online by Viet Nam. The reported date for signing the RCEP is November 14. RCEP negotiations began in 2012, and India decided to withdraw in November 2019.
October 8, 2020: ‘Raising the cost of climate action?’, a new report from the International Institute for Environment and Development issued on October 4, 2020, includes a focus on coal-fired power stations covered by investment treaties which contain Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions.
October 7, 2020: The Nation magazine has started the investigation of investments that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation may have in the pharmaceutical companies wanting to manufacture possible COVID-19 vaccines. The Gates Foundation is the key funder of Gavi The Vaccine Alliance and CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, as well as being a co-leader in the World Health Organisation’s COVAX Facility and Advanced Market Commitment funds.