Asia Pacific civil society rejects investor rights to sue governments in RCEP negotiations

MEDIA RELEASE
It’s Our Future

Asia Pacific civil society rejects investor rights to sue governments in RCEP negotiations

As Trade Ministers, including New Zealand’s Todd McClay, meet in Laos today (5th August), an unprecedented alliance of 95 civil society groups are calling for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to exclude extreme forms of investor rights.

Civil society groups from New Zealand, Australia, ASEAN countries, India, Japan and South Korea today issued a call to Trade Ministers meeting in Laos to reject proposals for Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions in the RCEP treaty being negotiated by 16 countries.

The statement, included below, urges Trade Ministers not to allow foreign investors to bypass national courts and override national laws and policies. An ISDS mechanism would allow foreign corporations to sue governments over democratically-agreed laws that are in the public interest but which adversely affect investors’ interests. Some countries in the RCEP are trying to include ISDS provisions that are similar to those in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

Barry Coates, spokesperson for Its Our Future commented: “ISDS has been used by the largest multinational corporations as a means to challenge the rights of governments to regulate in the public interest. Around two thirds of the 696 cases brought under ISDS have challenged environmental regulation, including a recent case that challenged the right of local government to reject a mining permit in Canada. Other cases have focused on Australia’s plain packaging of cigarettes, Canada’s rejection of a patent for a medicine, Egypt’s increase in the minimum wage, and the President Obama’s decision not to allow the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada’s tar sands to increase climate emissions, a $15 billion claim.”

“The ISDS is not needed to attract foreign investment and undermines government’s rights to regulate. It is undemocratic and would result in an unacceptable loss of sovereignty.”

“There is already strong opposition to ISDS in the TPPA. More than half the New Zealand public oppose the TPPA and it is in deep trouble in the US. ISDS provisions in a parallel US-EU agreement are opposed by France and Germany, and a growing number of developing countries are in the process of unwinding their ISDS provisions. The time for ISDS has passed. We need new treaties that reflect the challenges and realities of the 21st Century.”

RCEP negotiations between Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Korea, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam have been conducted in secret since 2012. The It’s Our Future network has reiterated its call for government accountability.

Barry Coates continued: “The Minister needs to inform Parliament and the public about our government’s negotiating position. They are meant to be representing New Zealand in these negotiations, not just a narrow set of corporate interests.”

“It is also unacceptable that the government is keeping the negotiating draft a secret. The draft is shared with other negotiators and there is no reason why it should not be a public document. This unwarranted secrecy in incompatible with democratic accountability,” concluded Coates.
ENDS

Contact:
Barry Coates
It’s Our Future spokesperson
021 365 165

Civil society groups say No to investors suing States in RCEP
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is being negotiated in secret by 16 countries* and a leaked copy of its investment chapter includes proposals to allow foreign investors to sue governments at an international tribunal.
These investor suits can be for unlimited cash damages and compound interest. If the proposals are accepted, this investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS) would allow foreign investors to sue RCEP governments if they regulate in ways that disadvantages the foreign investor, eg. by reducing its profits, including by introducing new laws/policies or changing their laws/policies, even if it is for public interest reasons.
Past ISDS cases have successfully challenged health, environmental, tax, financial regulation and many other laws and a losing government in one case had to pay an investor as much as US$40 billion. This is difficult enough for any government to afford, but RCEP includes three least developed countries: Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar who would find it particularly burdensome to pay foreign investors this much.
There are 696 known ISDS cases against 107 countries and the number filed each year has been rapidly increasing (the most ever were filed in 2015). These cases which broadly interpret investors’ rights and restrict governments’ ability to regulate have caused many developed and developing country governments to rethink their support for these investment protection provisions (including ISDS) in bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and free trade agreement (FTA) investment chapters. For example, in RCEP countries alone:
· India and Indonesia are withdrawing from their BITs,
· Singapore’s Attorney General and the Chief Justice of Australia’s highest court have expressed concerns about ISDS and
· The New Zealand Chief Justice noted that human rights based determinations of domestic courts may give rise to ISDS claims.
In countries outside RCEP, there is also opposition to ISDS including:
· Other countries such as South Africa and Ecuador are withdrawing from their BITs,
· Germany’s Economic Minister opposes ISDS in Europe’s FTA negotiations with the USA,
· the Dutch, French and Austrian Parliaments oppose ISDS in their FTA negotiations with Canada and the USA and
· All US state-level parliaments oppose ISDS in any treaty.
Various United Nations (UN) human rights bodies have also stated their serious concerns about ISDS including 10 UN Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts on human rights who said that the ISDS cases demonstrate ‘that the regulatory function of many States and their ability to legislate in the public interest have been put at risk’ and governments have been chilled from regulating. They recommended that in negotiations of FTAs like RCEP, the negotiating texts are published and the negotiations are conducted transparently with the participation of stakeholders including civil society.
RCEP trade ministers will meet in Laos on 5 August 2016 to try and resolve some of the issues that are stuck in the negotiations.
Given this, the 95 national and regional civil society organisations listed below which cover all RCEP countries (a number of persons requested additionally to sign on as individuals) strongly urge RCEP countries to reject ISDS in the agreement.

* The RCEP countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand

 

Organization Coverage
1.       GRAIN Global
2.       Third World Network Global
3.       Transnational Institute (TNI) Global
4.       World Federation of Public Health Associations Global
5.       LDC Watch

6.       Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law & Development (APWLD)

Global

Asia & Pacific

7.       Public Services International Asia & Pacific Asia & Pacific
8.       Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance Asia & Pacific
9.       The Building and Wood Workers’ International Asia-Pacific Asia & Pacific
10.   Focus on the Global South Philippines, Thailand, India, Cambodia, Laos
11.   Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network Australia
12.   Australian Services Union Australia
13.   The Grail Global Justice Network Australia
14.   People’s Health Movement Australia

15.   Public Health Association of Australia

16.   New South Wales Nurses & Midwives’ Association

Australia

Australia

Australia

17.   Cambodian Grassroots Cross-sector Network Cambodia
18.   SILAKA Cambodia
19.   Social Action for Change Cambodia
20.   The Messenger Band Cambodia
21.   Women’s Network for Unity Cambodia
22.   Worker’s Information Center Cambodia
23.   All India Drug Action Network India
24.   Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) India
25.   Delhi Network of Positive People India
26.   Food Sovereignty Alliance India
27.   Forum Against FTAs India
28.   India FDI Watch India
29.   Indian Social Action Forum – INSAF India
30.   Initiative for Health & Equity in Society India
31.   International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) -South Asia India
32.   Sunray Harvesters India
33.   Thanal India
34.   The Centre for Internet and Society India
35.   Toxics Watch Alliance (TWA) India
36.   Ahimsa Society Indonesia
37.   Aliansi Masyarakat Sipil Untuk Perempuan Politik (ANSIPOL) Indonesia
38.   Aliansi Nasional Bhineka Tunggal Ika (ANBTI) Indonesia
39.   Aliansi Petani Indonesia Indonesia
40.   Bina Desa Indonesia
41.   Creata Indonesia
42.   Forhati Jatim Indonesia
43.   Himpunan Wanita Disabilitas Indonesia (HWDI) Indonesia
44.   IHCS (Indonesian Human Rights Committee for Social Justice) Indonesia
45.   Indonesia AIDS Coalition Indonesia
46.   Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ) Indonesia
47.   Jaringan Advokasi Tambang (JATAM) Indonesia
48.   Koalisi Rakyat Untuk Hak Atas Air (KRuHA) Indonesia
49.   Konsorsium Pembaruan Agraria (KPA) Indonesia
50.   Maju Perempuan Indonesia (MPI) Indonesia
51.   Pengembangan Inisiatif dan Advokasi Rakyat (PIAR) NTT Indonesia
52.   Pengurus Wilayah Lembaga Kajian dan Pengembangan Sumberdaya Manusia Nahdlatul Ulama (PW LAKPESDAM NU DKI) Indonesia

Indonesia

53.   Sawit Watch Indonesia
54.   Serikat Petani Indonesia (SPI) (LVC Indonesia) Indonesia
55.   Solidaritas Perempuan (Women’s Solidarity for Human Rights) Indonesia
56.   Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network Indonesia
57.   Yogya Interfaith Forum Indonesia
58.   Japan Family Farmers Movement Japan
59.   Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC) Japan
60.   Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT) Malaysia
61.   Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC) Malaysia
62.   Malaysian Women’s Action for Tobacco Control & Health (MyWATCH) Malaysia
63.   Penang Research Center in Socio Economy (PReCISE) Malaysia
64.   Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower Malaysia) Malaysia
65.   Positive Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group (MTAAG+) Malaysia
66.   Primary Care Doctors Organisation Malaysia (PCDOM) Malaysia
67.   NGO Gender Group Myanmar
68.   Glocal Solutions Ltd New Zealand
69.   Doctors for Healthy Trade New Zealand
70.   It’s Our Future Aotearoa New Zealand New Zealand
71.   MANA Movement of the People New Zealand
72.   New Zealand Council of Trade Unions New Zealand
73.   New Zealand Public Service Association New Zealand
74.   New Zealand Tertiary Education Union New Zealand
75.   Ngai Tai Iwi Authority New Zealand
76.   Public Health Association

77.   New Zealand Public Service Association

New Zealand

New Zealand

78.   Alyansa Tigil MIna (Alliance Against Mining) Philippines
79.   GABRIELA Alliance of Filipino Women Philippines
80.   IBON Foundation Philippines
81.   Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) Philippines
82.   Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau (WLB), Inc. Philippines
83.   Association of Physicians for Humanism Republic of Korea
84.   IPLeft Republic of Korea
85.   Knowledge Commune Republic of Korea
86.   Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights, KFHR Republic of Korea
87.   Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society, KPDS Republic of Korea
88.   Trade & Democracy Institute Republic of Korea
89.   Trade Commission of MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society Republic of Korea
90.   Assembly of the Poor Thailand
91.   Foundation for Women Thailand
92.   FTA Watch Thailand
93.   Indigenous Women’s Network of Thailand Thailand
94.   Thai Poor Act Thailand
95.   Vietnam Network of People living with HIV Vietnam
Individual Signatories Country
1.       Andi Yuliani Paris Indonesia
2.       Athea Sarastiani Indonesia
3.       Chairunnisa Yusuf Indonesia
4.       Hendrik Siregar Indonesia
5.       Ida Fauziyah Indonesia
6.       Indah Suksmaningsih Indonesia
7.       Irma Suryani Chaniago Indonesia
8.       Irmawaty Habie Indonesia
9.       Lena Maryana Mukti Indonesia
10.   Luluk Hamidah Indonesia
11.   Maeda Yoppy Indonesia
12.   Maria Goreti Indonesia
13.   Maulani A Rotinsulu Indonesia
14.   Melani Leimena Suharli Indonesia
15.   Nia Sjarifudin Nidalia Djohansyah Indonesia
16.   Nihayatul Wafiroh Indonesia
17.   Ratu Dian Hatifah Indonesia
18.   Sarah Lery Mboeik Indonesia
19.   Sulistyowati Irianto Indonesia
20.   Sumarjati Arjoso Indonesia
21.   Tumbu Saraswati Indonesia
22.   Biswajit Dhar India
23.   Gajanan Wakankar India
24.   Vu Ngoc Binh