ENG 
FRE 
ESP 
KOR 
Greens Japan opposes Japan’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the partnership’s framework. The TPP has the potential to deliver serious damage to Japanese agriculture, particularly for small-scale farmers who supply the majority of Japan’s food production, and to decrease Japanese food sovereignty and self-sufficiency.
The TPP sets out to remove barriers to trade which will consequently undermine Japanese public health and environment. Investor-state dispute clauses in the TPP are also expected to inhibit the Japanese government’s ability to implement policy programs protecting public health, environment and human rights among other legislation that would normally protect citizen’s welfare. The TPP’s non-disclosure agreement obfuscates information about investor-state trade relationships thereby violating civil society’s right to transparent and fair right to know.
International trade should be based on human and environmental security and assure fairness in the supply chain for suppliers, labourers and consumers for all countries and for the protection of our shared nature. Greens Japan therefore insists that Japan’s participation in TPP negotiations should stop and that Japan should instead seek an alternative structure for fair trade and economic cooperation among East Asian and Pacific countries.
Greens Japan believes agricultural production should be treated as an exception for tariff reductions so that agriculture is protected and food sovereignty for every country is respected. A common and strict international standard is needed to ensure economic sufficiency and safety for all workers for the natural environment.
Greens Japan proposes the establishment of a common foundation of solidarity that would correct disparities among East Asia’s policies for natural environment preservation, climate change mitigation, poverty eradication, employment creation, and financial assistance for tackling problems in currency and exchange fluctuations. Greens Japan believes moreover that Japan should lead in taking responsibility on these important issues.
By: Rikiya Adachi, Secretary of International Affairs of Greens Japan
05/05/2015 – 14:09
