From June 3 to July 31, 2024, Global Affairs Canada sought public input on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as part of a general review of the treaty mandated in all 11 member countries.
This CCPA submission to that consultation responds to the last of the government’s four leading questions:
“Are there existing provisions in the [CPTPP] that would benefit from revision or updating? Do you have suggestions to improve and/or modernize the Agreement, including to address emerging issues such as digital and green economy, supply chain resilience, inclusive trade, and innovation?”
Specifically, the CCPA submission recommends:
- Aligning the investment chapter with the binding obligations in the Paris Climate Agreement
- Updating the CPTPP to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and facilitate trading relationships with, between, and among Indigenous Peoples
- Balancing procurement market access with the right of governments and government entities to use public spending to foster social inclusion and fairness
- Strengthening the labour chapter and incorporating a rapid-response mechanism for investigating and penalizing labour rights violations
- Removing or limiting the scope of the digital trade chapter
- Removing the intellectual property rights chapter or permanently deleting the suspended provisions related to patents
- Creating a central hub for information and documentation from CPTPP committees and dispute settlement cases
