Legal Experts Voice Concerns as Trade Ministers Meet in Miami Nov. 16-21, 2003

November 12, 2003

Trade officials from throughout the hemisphere will convene Nov. 16-21 in Miami, Florida at the 8th Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Ministerial. The FTAA proposes to establish a set of trade and trade-related rules, including rules that deal with intellectual property rights and investment. These proposed regulations would restrict the ability of governments to protect their natural environments and ensure the health of their citizens. The 10 years of NAFTA experience provide compelling evidence on the dangers of trade policies and investor rules that are heavily weighted toward investor rights. Current FTAA negotiations are just another step in this process, further enshrining a model of liberalization that fails to adequately address the developmental needs of the South.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) is working to ensure that international environmental rules are developed and applied effectively without interference from international trade rules, and that trade rules and institutions take account of their environmental, health, social, and developmental impacts without intruding on regulatory areas that are properly the subject of environmental and other domestic institutions. Since the onset of the FTAA negotiations, CIEL has expressed concerns regarding the transparency of the process and the substance of the proposed FTAA, in areas such as the environment, dispute settlement, investment, services, and intellectual property. CIEL attorneys will speak at several civil society events held in conjunction with the Ministerial and can provide informed commentary on the key issues under discussion throughout the FTAA Ministerial.

Addtional Resources:

• FTAA: Background of the process

• THE FTAA Ministerial in Miami, Florida, November 16 - 21, 2003