Posted: Tuesday, 15 September 2009

The Canadian labour movement asks Canadian parliamentarians to reject the Canada-Colombia agreement at least until a comprehensive, independent Human Rights Impact Assessment is completed, its findings broadly circulated and acted upon, and until the provisions of the investment chapter are withdrawn.

Authentic democracy and the respect for human rights are not the direct outcome of free trade. If human rights and the security of the person are not upheld, neither are the democratic rights of millions of Colombians. Since January 2007, there have been 115 trade unionists murdered. Colombia has four million internal refugees. This bilateral agreement is likely to intensify Colombia’s refugee crisis because the investment provisions will further open up Colombian territories to foreign investment in the resource extraction sectors. If the NAFTA model is extended to Colombia, then the NAFTA experience should be heeded. There is nothing in recent Mexican history to suggest a free-trade-led path out of unemployment, impunity, or drug-running.

We do not believe the Colombian government must have a free trade agreement with Canada to support human rights organizations; investigate threats against foreign embassies; prosecute and punish the perpetrators of extra-judicial killings; eliminate impunity inside the military and security forces; expand the rule of law so as to deter criminals and human rights abusers; or strengthen the system of risk-reporting and early warnings.

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