Intl. investment agreements & policy
The global framework of international investment agreements and national investment policies can limit the protection of human rights. International organizations such as UNCTAD and the South Centre, NGOs, and academics have made proposals to ensure that these agreements and policies do not limit human rights protections, and can even provide greater protection of the rights of those affected by foreign investment. Some countries have developed policies in this direction and adopted some of these recommendations, in some cases renegotiating their international investment agreements.
To address these issues, this section of our site includes materials on the human rights impacts of:
- International investment agreements and policy – both bilateral and multilateral, and including investor protection provisions in trade agreements
- National policies on foreign investment, including export processing and special economic zones
Related stories and components
Cambodia: Letter of concern by brands to Prime Minister regarding freedom of association & human rights defenders
Author: Rick Helfenbein - President and CEO, American Apparel & Footwear Association, Christian Ewert - Director General, amfori – Trade with Purpose, Peter McAllister - Executive Director, Ethical Trading Initiative, Sharon Waxman - President and CEO, Fair Labor Association, Alexander Kohnstamm - Director, Fair Wear Foundation & Jane Hwang - President and CEO, Social Accountability International
On behalf of international garment, footwear, and travel goods brands and retailers, we write to urge your government to immediately implement its October 16, 2017 commitments... Further, we write to express our growing concern over recent...
European Court of Justice ruling finds the ISDS system incompatible with EU law
Author: Niall Sargent, The Green News
"ECJ ruling may spell the end for 200 investment deals between EU Members", March 7th 2018...
- Related in-depth areas: Latest Legal News
Author: L'Opinion
Une décision de la Cour de Justice de l’Union Européenne a remis en cause la compatibilité entre les tribunaux arbitraux privés et le droit de l’Union. S’il fait jurisprudence, cet arrêt pourrait remettre en cause une partie du traité de libre-échange...
Author: Alexandra Endres, ZEIT Online
"Big Oil vor Gericht", 29 Jan 2018...
- Related companies: BP Chevron ConocoPhillips ExxonMobil RWE Shell
Interview with environmental lawyer Zhang Jingjing on the need for legal requirements for Chinese overseas investments
Author: Zhang Chun, chinadialogue
'China needs urgent oversight of investments', 1 December 2017...
- Related in-depth areas: Chinese investment overseas
EU's proposed Multilateral Investment Court will further expand corporate privileges at the expense of human rights, says NGO report
A World Court for Corporations: How the EU Plans to Entrench and Institutionalize Investor-State Dispute Settlement
Author: CIEL, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, & Seattle to Brussels Network
...The European Commission...[has proposed]..a multilateral mechanism for investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS)--referred to by the Commission as a Multilateral Investment Court...The proposed global investor court threatens to lock in the highly...
- Related stories: EU's proposed Multilateral Investment Court will further expand corporate privileges at the expense of human rights, says NGO report
- Related in-depth areas: Latest news on ISDS Latest news on proposed binding treaty
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