Sustainable Development and Economic Integration in the CPTPP [3.3351]
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56754/2735-7236.2024.3351Keywords:
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Sustainable Development, Economic Integration, Investment Law, Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Asia-Pacific, Regional IntegrationAbstract
Given that recent international trade and investment agreements include provisions related to environmental protection and the enforcement of labor laws, one may argue that sustainable development has emerged as the new paradigm for economic integration. While there remains skepticism about this new generation of treaties, it is essential to evaluate the extent to which these provisions contribute to sustainable development. The aim of this essay is to address this question through a normative and doctrinal analysis of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This assessment concludes that incorporating environmental and labor aspects does indeed contribute to sustainable development. There are at least three reasons for this conclusion: first, the inclusion of chapters on labor and the environment enhances the interpretation of international trade and investment agreements; second, these agreements incorporate the State-State Dispute Settlement mechanism as an enforcement tool for labor and environmental commitments; and third, they respond to the challenges of achieving a multinational consensus on corporate social responsibility for companies.
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