[CTC] Bogota mayor sees FTA with US as a threat

[Gimena Sanchez]

Sorry for crosspostings....


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Network for Justice in Global Investment Advisory Committee

 *   Alberto Arroyo, RMALC, México
 *   Angel Ibarra, Unidad Ecológica Salvadoreña, El Salvador
 *   Elizabeth Peredo Beltran, Fundación Solón, Bolivia
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 *   William Waren, Forum on Democracy & Trade, United States
 *   Sarah Anderson and Manuel Perez Rocha, Institute for Policy Studies, United States
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 *   Brid Brennan, Transnational Institute, Amsterdam

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Manuel Perez Rocha
Institute for Policy Studies<http://www.ips-dc.org/> manuel at ips-dc.org<mailto:manuel at ips-dc.org>

Aldo Orellana Lopez
The Democracy Center<http://democracyctr.org> aldo at democracyctr.org<mailto:aldo at democracyctr.org>

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Newsletter # 12
March/April, 2012

Dear friends,

Welcome to newsletter #12 of the Network for Justice in Global Investment (NJGI)<https://mail.ips-dc.org/owa/redir.aspx?C=b71302cb509f4b098db7da0f043ac2d2&URL=http%3a%2f%2fjustinvestment.org%2fabout%2f>.

In this issue we focus on the egregious Renco vs. Peru case. Renco, the U.S.-based parent company of Doe Run Peru initiated an investor–state arbitration against Peru in an international tribunal of the United Nations Commission for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).  Renco is claiming violations of the U.S.–Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and seeking $800 million USD in compensation. The Peruvian government has denied the company an additional extension to comply with an environmental clean up program it had committed at the highly polluted smelter in La Oroya, one of the most polluted sites in the world. According to the government, Doe Run failed repeatedly to complete the required environmental clean-up program. Renco proposed a restructuring plan that would have led to the reopening of the metallurgical plant, but after lengthy discussions the government rejected the plan on April 12. This is big news for local communities and national and international allies. However, this is not the end of the case.  This newsletter analyzes many challenges remaining.

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Remember that this and other information, resources, and analysis are available on our website<http://justinvestment.org/>. They will help you stay informed about the debate on global investment rules.
Institute for Policy Studies
The Democracy Center

In Focus:
A brief introduction of the Doe Run / Renco vs Peru case.<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/fact-sheet-la-oroya-peru/>

Fact Sheet of the case prepared specially for this issue.

Read More<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/fact-sheet-la-oroya-peru/> →

Speech of Conrado Olivera, member of Uniendo Manos Perú and Friends of la Oroya, at the 2012 Ecumenical Advocacy Days, in Washington D.C.<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/speech-of-conrado-olivera-member-of-uniendo-manos-peru-and-friends-of-la-oroya-at-the-2012-ecumenical-advocacy-days-in-washington-d-c/>

Conrado Olivera told of the struggles of local communities affected by years of pollution in the La Oroya Metallurgical Complex owned by the Doe Run Peru. He spoke about these injustices in the context of an investor–state investment dispute. A system that is increasingly tying the hands of governments and their efforts to implement public interest policies.

Read More<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/speech-of-conrado-olivera-member-of-uniendo-manos-peru-and-friends-of-la-oroya-at-the-2012-ecumenical-advocacy-days-in-washington-d-c/> →

Dossier of analysis, news and opinions about the Doe Run / Renco vs Perú<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/dossier-of-news-analysis-and-opinions-published-in-the-media-about-the-case-doe-run-renco-vs-peru/>

This dossier includes, among other things, a letter sent by 18 US Congresspeople to the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, requesting that the government do not defend Doe Run; and the request by NGO Oxfam America to the Peruvian government that it stand by its decision not to concede to the re-opening of the Doe Run Peru (DRP) lead smelting plant in La Oroya.

Read More<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/dossier-of-news-analysis-and-opinions-published-in-the-media-about-the-case-doe-run-renco-vs-peru/> →

Other Hot Topics:
Multiple Countries Rejecting Investor State Dispute Settlement<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/multiple-countries-rejecting-investor-state-dispute-settlement/>

[SOURCE: SIERRA CLUB CANADA] There appears to be a growing awareness in many countries, that NAFTA-style foreign investor privileges and their private “investor-state dispute system , which have been among the most controversial aspects of past US trade deals, should be rejected in trade and investment agreements, for example, into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

Read More<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/multiple-countries-rejecting-investor-state-dispute-settlement/> →

India seeks treaty revisions to deal with corporate suits<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/india-seeks-treaty-revisions-to-deal-with-corporate-suits/>

[SOURCE: INDIANEXPRESS By Subhomoy Bhattacharjee] Rattled by threats from foreign companies to drag India to international courts over breach of investment promises, the government is planning to erase a key clause in bilateral investment treaties that allows for international arbitration in order to protect itself.

Read More<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/india-seeks-treaty-revisions-to-deal-with-corporate-suits/> →

April fool–but secrecy in Trans Pacific trade negotiations is no joke<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/april-fool-but-secrecy-in-trans-pacific-trade-negotiations-is-no-joke/>

[SOURCE: FRIENDS OF THE EARTH. By Bill Waren] The U.S. Trade Representative is demanding a NAFTA-style investment chapter. This would authorize big oil, mining multi-nationals and other global investors to circumvent domestic courts and sue governments before business-friendly tribunals.

Read More<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/april-fool-but-secrecy-in-trans-pacific-trade-negotiations-is-no-joke/> →

US Suspends Argentina from Trade Preference Scheme<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/us-suspends-argentina-from-trade-preference-scheme/>

[SOURCE: ICTSD] President Barack Obama announced that the US would be suspending Argentina from its Generalized System of Preferences Program – which waives duties on thousands of imports from developing countries – for failure to pay arbitration awards in two disputes involving US investors.

Read More<http://justinvestment.org/2012/04/us-suspends-argentina-from-trade-preference-scheme/> →

Crikey! Australia Shocks Corporate America on Trade<http://justinvestment.org/2012/03/crikey-australia-shocks-corporate-america-on-trade/>

[SOURCE: COMMON DREAMS. By Sarah Anderson] The Australian government doesn’t like it when global tobacco giants can sue them over public health laws. They have refused to accept trade rules that allow foreign investors to sue governments in international tribunals. Known as “investor-state” dispute settlement, these rules are in every U.S. trade agreement negotiated in the past 20 years – except the 2005 U.S.-Australia pact. Corporate America finds this utterly unreasonable, , but Australia is holding strong – so far.

Read More<http://justinvestment.org/2012/03/crikey-australia-shocks-corporate-america-on-trade/> →

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