A People’s Guide to PACER released

A People’s Guide to PACER released

The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) has released a user-friendly report on the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) and the potential implications of a free trade agreement between Pacific island countries and Australia and New Zealand.

A Peoples Guide to PACER was launched at the Pacific Civil Society Forum meeting in Apia, Samoa on 3 August, and copies are now available from PANG (e-mail pang@connect.com.fj ) and at the ECREA website: http://www.ecrea.org.fj

Written by Auckland University Law Professor Jane Kelsey, and commissioned by PANG, A Peoples Guide to PACER, is a follow-up from an earlier interim report written by Prof. Kelsey titled Big Brothers Behaving Badly that was launched at the Pacific Island Forum Trade Ministers meeting in PNG in April.

A Peoples Guide to PACER provides similar information to Big Brothers Behaving Badly in a more user-friendly style. Basic information about PACER is presented in Question and Answer format and case studies are used to explore selected issues in more depth.

The goal is to empower people of the Pacific region to engage in critical decisions on trade and economic agreements that will decide their future, and is a basic resource and training tool.

The Guide specifically aims to provide a basis from which NGOs, community groups, the media and individuals can contribute to discussions and try to have an input and influence on trade negotiations being undertaken by Pacific governments. These include negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement between the Pacific ACP states and the EU to commence on 10 September, as well as issues under negotiations in the WTO.

The first report entitled Big Brothers Behaving Badly drew on wide-ranging interviews with politicians, diplomats, trade officials, consultants, business people and NGOs, as well as published and unpublished reports and files at the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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