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What: Amnesty International and the Americas Policy Group of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) are co-hosting a briefing for MPs next Tuesday, December 8 in Ottawa about what a Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) for the Canada Colombia Free Trade Agreement should look like. The timing of this briefing is crucial as ratification legislation for the free trade agreement, Bill C-23, is currently in second reading debate and the Conservatives are hoping to rush it to committee when they have a chance. Your emails to MPs have helped stall that moment for over nine months. Now we need you to help get them out to the Amnesty/CCIC event. So far half a dozen MPs have confirmed their attendance but that¹s not good enough ALL of our MPs who will eventually vote on the FTA have a responsibility to learn why other countries are assessing the human rights impact of free trade before moving forward with new agreements. Details: WHAT IS A HUMAN RIGHTS IMPACT ASSESSMENT? In June 2008, the Standing Committee on International Trade agreed that: ³An independent, impartial, and comprehensive human rights impact assessment should be carried out by a competent body, which is subject to levels of independent scrutiny and validation; the recommendations of this assessment should be addressed before Canada considers signing, ratifying and implementing an agreement with Colombia.² A year later, in June 2009, over 60 prominent individuals and organizations, including Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow, signed a letter to Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff urging him to live up to this promise. You can read the letter here:http://www.canadians.org/trade/documents/Letter-Ignatieff-CCFTA.pdf According to a CCIC briefing note from June 2009, ³a human rights impact assessment can ensure trade policymakers confront a range of issues that would not normally be part of the mainstream trade agenda, such as the impact of the agreement on small farmers¹ access to food, land, and livelihood, or access of the poor to education, health care and housing.² You can read the note here:http://www.ccic.ca/_files/en/working_groups/003_apg_2009-06_cafta_hr_as sess_of_cfta_note.pdf. The message of Tuesday¹s MP information session will be that HRIAs have been commissioned in other countries, they are doable and undertaking one for the Canada-Colombia FTA will help establish Canada as a leader in taking concrete steps to promote trade with human rights. Action: Get your MP to this Briefing! Please take a moment to contact your MP and urge him or her to attend next Tuesdays human rights impact assessment briefing. A sample email can be found below, as well as a link that allows you to easily find your MPs contact info through your postal code. Key MPs of all parties and the entire Liberal caucus have now received an official invitation from Amnesty and CCIC. But we need to ensure a strong turnout to improve our chances of success in obtaining an HRIA for the CCFTA. Please do take 5 minutes to email your MP today. Find your MP by your postal code: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCo de.aspx?Language=E SAMPLE LETTER: Dear NAME OF MP, Next Tuesday, December 8 from 12:55-1:50 p.m, during International Human Rights Week, a special lunch briefing session for Members of Parliament on Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIA) and the importance of conducting one for the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement will take place, and I am writing to enquire whether you will be attending. As a member of your constituency I urge you to attend. It is very important Canada undertake an independent assessment of the trade deal with Colombia, as a basic step of due diligence given the human rights crisis in that country. Please let me know if you will be attending this important event. The briefing will take place at 131 Queen Street (Ottawa); Room 7-52. A Buffet lunch will be served. The event is being co-hosted by Amnesty International and the Canadian Council for International Co-operation. Please confirm your participation for this event with fmeyerc...@ccic.ca Many thanks Your signature and address to show you are a constituent ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
