TWN Info Service on Free Trade Agreements

20 October 2006


From the organisers and participants of the "Fighting FTAs" international strategy meeting:

OVERVIEW OF BILATERAL FREE TRADE AND INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS

A background paper prepared for the "Fighting FTAs" international strategy workshop organised by FTA Watch in cooperation with bilaterals.org, GRAIN and MSF in Bangkok on 27-29 July 2006.

This 22-page document gives a general overview of free trade agreements (FTAs) and bilateral investment treaties (BITs) that have been signed or are being negotiated all over the world. Organised by region, it
provides a snapshot of the many processes currently under way, some of the controversies they raise and opposition movements against these agreements.

This document was originally prepared as a resource paper for the "Fighting FTAs" strategy workshop organised by FTA Watch with the collaboration of bilaterals.org, GRAIN and Médecins Sans Frontières in
Thailand at the end of July 2006. It was then revised at the end of September, with the input of the workshop participants for sharing as a public document.

In the fast moving world of FTAs and BITs, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of deals being negotiated, signed or put into effect. This paper aims to help people get a basic handle on what is going on. Bilateral trade and investment agreements are
literally exploding right now, as governments around the world compete individually for market access favours and closer geopolitical ties in the breakdown of multilateral fora such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO). In many cases they go much further than WTO
commitments. These agreements are about much more than trade, however, and present huge challenges for social movements.

Also available online at: http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=6206

Download PDF Version


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