UN official calls for suspension of TTIP talks over fears of human rights abuses

[n2doc]

Last edited Mon May 4, 2015, 10:06 PM - Edit history (1)

A senior UN official has called for controversial trade talks between the European Union and the US to be suspended over fears that a mooted system of secret courts used by major corporations would undermine human rights.

Alfred de Zayas, a UN human rights campaigner, said there should be a moratorium on negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which are on course to turn the EU and US blocs into the largest free-trade area in the world.

Speaking to the Guardian, the Cuban-born US lawyer warned that the lesson from other trade agreements around the world was that major corporations had succeeded in blocking government policies with the support of secret arbitration tribunals that operated outside the jurisdiction of domestic courts.

He said he would be compiling a report on the tactics used by multinationals to illustrate the flaws in current plans for the TTIP.

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http://www.theguardian.com/global/2015/may/04/ttip-united-nations-human-right-secret-courts-multinationals

[BainsBane]

1. This Bill Moyers documentary shows how it works under NAFTA

[TM99]

2. Good!

This is serious shit, and I am glad to see the UN starting to get involved with stopping this.

[madfloridian]

3. Thanks for posting this.

Recced.

[Hoyt]

4. UN is not calling for that, nor Bernie's Scandanavian countries like Denmark and Sweden.

Article is really loose with facts.

[BrotherIvan]

6. Bernie bought Denmark and Sweden?

Holla!

[Hoyt]

7. He favors Scandanavian governments, except when they want the TPIP I guess.

I like those countries too, and they know a good trade agreement when they see one.

[BrotherIvan]

8. Because those two countries are part of the EU you think they're pushing the TTIP?

Yeah, NO.

[Hoyt]

9. Sounds like it to me. They know trade will help them take care of the citizenry.

Hopefully folks here will wise up too.

[Elwood P Dowd]

10. Just like so called "free trade" has relived millions of American citizens of their jobs.

The people are wising up alright, but its to the BS people like you promote for the 1%.

[Hoyt]

11. I'd suggest there would be tens of million less jobs if we tried trading only among ourselves.

I doubt many jobs are going to the EU. Probably more are coming here with foreign companies building plants and offices here .

[sabrina 1]

5. Good, the more who oppose this the better. People in the other 11 countries have been

opposing it also.