Alfred de Zayas
Alfred de Zayas, the U.N.'s
Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order, is assigned the task to apply the standards of
international law to proposed treaties, to determine whether they're in accord with international law. On Friday, June 24th, he
issued his finding on three large proposed treaties regarding international trade among Atlantic countries: TTIP, TISA, and CETA. Earlier, on February 2nd, he had issued a similar finding on
the proposed TPP treaty between Pacific countries, and his conclusion there was the same: that the proposed treaty violates international laws, and is inconsistent with democracy.
His finding regarding the proposed Atlantic treaties condemned them by saying:
"Trade deals prepared and negotiated in secret, excluding key stakeholders such as labour unions, consumer associations, health professionals and environmental experts and now parliaments, have zero democratic legitimacy." This describes all of U.S. President Barack Obama's proposed treaties on trade: TPP, TTIP, and TISA, and it also includes CETA, which is the proposed treaty between the EU and Canada.
He further damningly noted that, "Disfranchising the public from participating in this important debate is undemocratic and manifests a profound disregard to peoples' voice."
The U.N.'s
press release, on June 24th, from its
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), especially notes:
An earlier consultation conducted by the European Commission in 2014 resulted in 97% of respondents from across Europe expressing opposition to the inclusion of asymmetrical investment protection in Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the USA. "The same would apply to CETA, but no consultation was ever held," he noted.
Comment: Reminder: Special Report: Scottish Referendum Rigged - The 'How' and the 'Why'