The document (signatories here) establishes that “As social movements and civil society organisations, we consider International Investment Agreements (IIAs) – such as the Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and investment chapters in the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and other similar, so called, Association Agreements – to be part of an architecture of impunity of transnational corporations (TNCs).”

FoEI, one of the world’s largest environmentalist networks, with groups in nearly 80 countries, supports this document following the latest round of Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations in Lima, Peru, which came to an end on May 24. The agreement gathers eleven countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, United States of America, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam and Peru. These countries announced in Lima their intentions to end negotiations by the end of the year.

The statement supported by FOEI is called “Statement of social movements and civil society organisations regarding the proposals of the I Ministerial Conference of Latin American States affected by the interests of transnationals” and was published on April 22nd in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The governments of Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, St. Vincent and Grenadine and Venezuela, in addition to delegations from Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico Dominican Republic and Uruguay participated in this event.

The statement by the social movements and organizations welcomed the organization of the First Ministerial Conference of Latin American States affected by transnational interests". "We remain hopeful that this initiative flourishes, especially because of the urgent need to put an end to transnational investments from private or public capital that do not contribute to the good living of people and of nature."

Also, the document establishes that international investment agreements “undermine peoples’ and nature’s rights, as well as the sovereignty and constitutions of nations, democracy and the public interest”.

“These agreements further consolidate the asymmetry of laws that propagate that the rights and power of corporations are protected by ‘hard law’ and are above the rights of peoples and communities”. “We believe that Nation-states should have not only the obligation but also the full freedom to implement laws and policies in favour of the people and the environment, without the threat of being sued by transnational capital.”

In the press release issued yesterday by FoEI, activist Bill Waren of Friends of the Earth US said: “Agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership are trojan horses reinforcing the power of transnational corporations and weakening government efforts to protect their citizens and the environment.”

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