The Role of Free Trade Agreements in Promoting Sustainable Business
Sep 24, 2021 (15:00 - 17:00) GMT+8
Fostering Responsible Trade Practices, Sustainable Supply Chains, and Human Rights Compliance
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Event Details
Trade agreements have long served as an incentive for trade and transactions between countries; through tariffs, quotas, and other agreed clauses, they encourage the parties involved to comply to a set of conditions in the interest of long-term cooperation. In the context of human rights and the environment, trade agreements now have a much larger role to play beyond commercial interests.
Recent years have seen a push towards the right direction of incorporating human rights and environmental concerns into the drafting of such treaties, but more effort needs to be made to ensure compliance on all levels of supply chain if we want to work towards a sustainable future. No longer can local businesses overlook the power of trade and investment agreements on the region, as new provisions on human rights, the environment, and sustainable development incorporated in FTAs globally will have impact on supply chain governance. Now more than ever, the Malaysian business sector needs to step up their game in responsible supply chain governance.
This online session will cover the various free trade and investment agreements in the Asia region that have impact on Malaysian businesses, highlighting the importance for local companies to re-examine their sustainability obligations, and serves as a follow-up to our previous "Human Rights and the Environment: Improving Supply Chain Compliance" webinar. Our esteemed speakers, from a variety of backgrounds and industries, will provide an overview on the new free trade and investment agreements in the Asia region (The CPTPP, RCEP, and EU FTAs with Asian countries) and their provisions on human rights, the environment, and sustainable development. Through their presentations and ensuing panel session, they will discuss the effects of FTAs on supply chains governance and highlight key challenges in complying with trade agreements, providing examples in the Malaysian context for best practices.
Trade agreements have long served as an incentive for trade and transactions between countries; through tariffs, quotas, and other agreed clauses, they encourage the parties involved to comply to a set of conditions in the interest of long-term cooperation. In the context of human rights and the environment, trade agreements now have a much larger role to play beyond commercial interests.
Recent years have seen a push towards the right direction of incorporating human rights and environmental concerns into the drafting of such treaties, but more effort needs to be made to ensure compliance on all levels of supply chain if we want to work towards a sustainable future. No longer can local businesses overlook the power of trade and investment agreements on the region, as new provisions on human rights, the environment, and sustainable development incorporated in FTAs globally will have impact on supply chain governance. Now more than ever, the Malaysian business sector needs to step up their game in responsible supply chain governance.
This online session will cover the various free trade and investment agreements in the Asia region that have impact on Malaysian businesses, highlighting the importance for local companies to re-examine their sustainability obligations, and serves as a follow-up to our previous "Human Rights and the Environment: Improving Supply Chain Compliance" webinar. Our esteemed speakers, from a variety of backgrounds and industries, will provide an overview on the new free trade and investment agreements in the Asia region (The CPTPP, RCEP, and EU FTAs with Asian countries) and their provisions on human rights, the environment, and sustainable development. Through their presentations and ensuing panel session, they will discuss the effects of FTAs on supply chains governance and highlight key challenges in complying with trade agreements, providing examples in the Malaysian context for best practices.
Michalis Rokas is the Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Malaysia. He has twenty-six years of experience in Foreign Affairs, having joined t...
Prof. Tan Sri Dr Zakri is also Ambassador and Science Advisor to the Campaign for Nature, Former UN Official and a Senior Fellow of the Academy of Sci...
Deputy Director of Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies
Axel Marx is the Deputy Director at the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, University of Leuven. His research interests include inter alia v...
Edmund has been in legal practice for more than 23 years and is the co-founder of AmerBON, Advocates. He is a specialist counsel who regularly appears...
Cynthia Ann Peterson is a Principal, Social Performance in PETRONAS at the Group level. She has been in the energy industry for over a decade, with in...
Director of Stakeholder Engagement at Fair Labour Alliance (FLA)
Anisha Rajapakse is a senior global expert with two decades of progressive experience working at the intersection of human rights, business and intern...
Acting Research Director, Associate Professor, Head of Economic Globalisation and Human Rights Thematic Area at Raoul Wallenburg Institute (RWI)
Radu Mares is a senior researcher at Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights. He has Doctor of Law (2006) and Associate Professor (Reader/Docent) (...