Hi Ed,
Thanks for your detailed response to my book review. I
cannot take the time now to respond to all the valid and important points
you make but here are a few thoughts.(I'm in book writing mode and must get
back to meet a deadline)
To me and many others, the mere fact that foreign investors will be
treated the same as domestic companies by a country under the provisions
of the MAI is a clear and obvious problem.
Barlow and Clarke point out in their book - a view I share - that
there is a need for some kind of an agreement to regulate international
flows of capital but there must be adequate provision for the protection
for social programs, health, education, culture, labour, the environment etc.
That is why it is so important to resurrect and focus attention
on existing UN Convenants and
Declarations such as the one on the rights and duties of states. The MAI
as it is currently drafted is not compatible with the provisions of the
latter yet many of the same countries are signatories. Surely that is an
obvious problem if we believe there is a role for the UN at all in
international affairs.
Are we to, instead, put all our trust and confidence into the WTO?
We are all, I think, well aware that many transnational agreements are
already in place or being negotiated but frequently in ways that do not
live up to their original promise. Some how enforcement of rules and
regulations either domestically or internationally always seems to take a
back seat to economic considerations. For a glaring example one has only
to look at the headline in the Arts section of the Globe and Mail today.
The ratings for the Howard Stern radio talk show is deemed of paramount
importance. The fact that it has been found in violation of the industry
run code of ethics (conduct) set out in the Canadian Broadcast Standards
Council appears irrelevant. In desparation (I hope) Gary Slaight of
Standard Broadcasting said that if Stern isn't off the air in 6 mo.s he
is going to bring the Stern show into the Ottawa region. I understand his
frustration with both the CBSC and the CRTC who are doing nothing but
collecting their salaries (Francoise Bertrand at our personal taxpaying
expense) while allowing business to continue as usual and violation of
existing agreements in order to pave the way for corporate greed, both
domestic and international.
Since writing and posting the book review I've obtained and read the
sub-committee report on the MAI tabled in the House of Commons by the
Standing Committee on Foreign Investment and Trade chaired by Bill
Graham in December, 1997. It's a good update on where we are at in
Ottaw on this issue.
Access to it is already on
the Internet, posted this a.m. by Bob Olsen. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Rose Dyson
