APWLD is launching new Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) vs Women’s Human Rights briefers in seven languages developed by our WITCH programme.
ISDS is a legacy of colonialism. It is a commonly used clause found in trade and investment agreements as a one-way dispute settlement mechanism that protects the investor’s investment from the partner government. Embracing ISDS is a great threat against human rights since it allows the corporation to sue the government and demand huge amounts of financial compensation and force the government to change laws and regulations in favour of foreign investors through a secretive international tribunal.
The number of ISDS cases have significantly increased in recent years with most of them against developing countries by corporations from developed countries. It triggers women’s access to public services, challenges affirmative action policies by the government such as tax justice, environmental protection and labour laws to protect human rights when they are seen to be detrimental to investment or future profits. In this briefer, APWLD will elaborate on how ISDS is incompatible with human rights principles.
This illegitimate protection mechanism the colonial power enjoyed for way too long at the cost of the life and wellbeing of people and the planet, especially in the global south must end now.
You can download the briefers in different languages by clicking on the links below:
English, Russian, Urdu, Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, Korean, Tamil
