Human rights impact assessments in trade agreements

Human Rights Impact Assessments are not a new phenomenon nor are guidelines for undertaking these assessments. However, their use is not systematically embedded in negotiations. A reason for that may be the lack of mutual understanding between the human rights community and the trade community. In fact, a human rights lens on trade measures can help identify “blind spots” which are crucial for allowing trade policy to fulfil its potential as driver for development.

What is not yet readily available is a short guide in an easy to digest format for both interested trade professionals to help understand the human rights impacts of trade agreements and for human rights experts to better understand what information trade negotiators need to connect human rights with trade agreements and policies.

The aim of this workshop was to elaborate the basis for such a short guide, that builds on lessons learned from previous assessments of trade agreements. Now the work starts to actually create the manual.

Agenda

List of Participants