30 October 2018 Dear UNCITRAL Member States: As representatives of civil society organizations across the globe, we reiterate our unequivocal opposition to the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) regime and the far-reaching rights for foreign investors enshrined in trade and investment treaties. ISDS and the investment treaty regime empower one class of interests – multinational corporations and investors – to sue governments outside of domestic court systems for unlimited amounts of compensation, including for the loss of expected future profits. A vast array of domestic laws, court rulings, regulations, and other government actions are subject to such attack, including non-discriminatory policies enacted in order to promote public welfare. In recent years, this once-obscure feature of the international trade and investment regime has drawn increasing criticism: A growing chorus of government officials from across the political spectrum, small businesses, academics, jurists, civil society organizations and trade unions around the world have publicly proclaimed opposition to ISDS and urged governments to exit from the regime. As the number of ISDS cases filed each year has exploded, and corporations have won billions in attacks on a stunning array of policies that promote the general welfare, some governments have begun to terminate treaties that include ISDS and reject new trade and investment agreements that grant foreign investors excessive rights and access to ISDS. In the context of this deserved global backlash against ISDS, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) – a UN body that has historically dealt with international commercial issues and is heavily dominated by the arbitration industry – launched Working Group III to “identify and consider concerns regarding ISDS; consider whether reform was desirable in light of any identified concerns; and, if the Working Group were to conclude that reform was desirable, develop any relevant solutions to be recommended to the Commission.” We commend the UNCITRAL member governments for recognizing that the current ISDS regime is politically and economically untenable. After two meetings of the UNCITRAL Working Group III process, however, it has become clear that the scope of the discussion falls far short of addressing the fundamental flaws of an international investment regime that empowers one already-powerful class of society – foreign investors – to challenge public interest laws outside domestic courts. While we agree with many of the criticisms raised by governments in the UNCITRAL discussions related to the existing ISDS system’s procedural flaws – including the high costs to governments and lack of transparency of the proceedings, the lack of coherence of awards, the inability to review the merits of even manifestly flawed awards, the highly problematic appointment process, the lack of ethical requirements of arbitrators, and the perverse effects of third-party funding of arbitration – these represent only a small subset of the many flaws and dangers of ISDS and the investment treaty regime. Unless this regime is considered in its entirety, including whether it achieves its purported aims, and unless the far-reaching substantive corporate rights in the underlying treaties are eliminated, the UNCITRAL Working Group III process will not result in any meaningful change. We specifically reject attempts by the European Union to push a “multilateral investment court” project as a “solution” in the UNCITRAL Working Group III process. This EU proposal would not only fail to address most of the fundamental flaws of ISDS and the current investment treaty regime, but seems designed to keep many of ISDS’s most damaging features (and flaws) intact. The EU’s proposed procedural changes would not limit the extraordinary substantive rights granted solely to foreign investors that extend beyond relevant domestic laws. And, most fundamentally, the EU proposal would continue to allow foreign investors to challenge non-discriminatory policies, including those that safeguard health, preserve the environment, and promote labour standards, outside countries’ domestic courts. Such a “multilateral investment court” would effectively lock in the investment treaty regime at a time when governments are wisely considering withdrawing from it altogether. Instead of focusing on procedural tweaks on the margins of the ISDS system, governments in UNCITRAL should put their efforts into discussing on how to move away from the current investment treaty system altogether. Thus, a more constructive focus for UNCITRAL would be to concentrate on the structural problems of the investment treaty regime and to facilitate a discussion on termination or wholesale replacement of existing agreements without countries being bound to the extended “survival” clauses. We call on our governments to refrain from signing any new trade and investment pacts that include these extraordinary rights for foreign investors, to terminate existing ISDS-enforced treaties, and to use the UNCITRAL process to address the fundamental problems of the current system. This means that governments must reject the EU’s “multilateral investment court” proposal, establishment of an appellate mechanism, or any other attempts to institutionalise or further entrench the investment arbitration regime. Sincerely, Global Organizations: 1. Public Services International 2. International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) 3. Friends of the Earth International 4. Greenpeace International 5. International Transport Workers’ Federation 6. ActionAid 7. Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) 8. SumOfUs 9. Transnational Institute (TNI) 10. Society for International Development (SID) 11. The Grail International Network for Global Justice Overcoming Poverty 12. International Accountability Project 13. CIDSE 14. GRAIN 15. Africa Europe Faith & Justice Network 16. People's Health Movement 17. bilaterals.org 18. Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 19. Compassion in World Farming 20. Health GAP (Global Access Project) Regional Organizations: 21. Arab NGO Network for Development (Arab Region) 22. Focus on the Global (South Asia) 23. Building and Wood-Workers' Internat’l Asia-Pacific Regional Office (Asia-Pacific) 24. Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda (East Africa) 25. ClientEarth (Europe) 26. Corporate Europe Observatory (Europe) 27. Eurogroup for Animals (Europe) 28. European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) (Europe) 29. Friends of the Earth Europe (Europe) 30. Global Social Justice (Europe) 31. Transport & Environment (Europe) 32. We Move Europe (WeMove.EU) (Europe) 33. Women In Development Europe+ (WIDE+) (Europe) 34. Seattle to Brussels Network (Europe) 35. Compassion in World Farming (Europe) 36. ATALC- Amigos de la Tierra América Latina y Caribe (Latin America and Caribbean) 37. ALTSEAN-Burma (Southeast Asia) 38. Asociación Americana de Juristas (AAJ) (The Americas) Country and Local Organizations: Argentina: 39. Acción por la Biodiversidad 40. Amigos de la Tierra Argentina 41. Asamblea Argentina Mejor sin TLC 42. ATTAC Argentina 43. CANPo (Corriente Agraria Nacional y Popular) 44. Confederación de Trabajadores Municipales (CTM) 45. CTA Autónoma Capital Regional Centro 46. Diálogo 2000 47. ECOS de Saladillo 48. Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos 49. Observatorio de la Riqueza Padre Arrospe Armenia 50. Отраслевой Республиканский Союз профессиональных организаций работников здравоохранения Армении Australia 51. Australian Catholic Social Justice Council 52. Australian Council of Trade Unions 53. Australian Institute of Ecological Agriculture 54. Australian Services Union 55. AFTINET (Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network) 56. Community and Public Sector Union State Public Services Federation 57. Conservation Council of South 58. Environment East Gippsland Inc 59. Friends of the Earth 60. Gene Ethics 61. GM Free Margaret River 62. Householders' Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc. 63. Jubilee Australia Research Centre 64. MADGE Australia 65. Margaret River Regional Environment Centre 66. National Toxics Network 67. Organic Agriculture Association 68. Pesticide Action Group of Western Australia 69. Soil & Health Inc NZ 70. Sustainable Agriculture & Communities Alliance Austria 71. #aufstehn 72. Attac Austria 73. Evangelischer Arbeitskreis für Weltmission Salzburg (EAWM Sazburg) 74. Grüne Bildungswerkstatt NÖ 75. Informationsgruppe Lateinamerika (IGLA) 76. Künstlerhaus, Assoziation of Austrian Artists 77. NeSoVe / Network Social Responsibility 78. ÖBV-Via Campesina Austria 79. Südwind 80. transform!at 81. younion _ Die Daseinsgewerkschaft 82. Plattform Anders Handeln Bangladesh 83. BPUBJSKU Belgium 84. Alliance nationale des Mutualités chrétiennes 85. CGSP/ ALR 86. CGSP/Parastataux 87. CNCD-11.11.11 88. Commission Justice et Paix 89. Entraide et Fraternité Bolivia 90. The Democracy Center Bosnia and Herzegovina 91. Centar za životnu sredinu/ Friends of the Earth Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil 92. Central Única dos Trabalhadores - Amapá 93. CONDSEF/FENADSEF 94. Confederacion Nacional de Los Trabajadores en la Seguridad Social de La Central ùnica de los Trabajadores 95. Contracs-CUT 96. Federação dos Sindicatos dos Servidores Públicos no Estado de São (FESSP-ESP) 97. Federação dos Trabalhadores Municipais de Santa Catarina 98. Federação dos Trabs da Adm e do Serviço Publico Municipal no Estado de São Paulo 99. Instituto EQUIT 100. Núcleo Amigos da Terra Brasil 101. REBRIP - Brazilian Network for People's Integration 102. Sindicato dos Enfermeiros do Estado de São Paulo 103. SINDSAÚDE/SP 104. Sindsep-SP - Sindicato dos Trabalhadores na Administração Pública e Autarquias do Municipio de Sao Paulo 105. SINPSI-Sindicato dos Psicólogos de São Paulo Bulgaria 106. FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS _ HEALTH SERVICES _ CITUB 107. Za Zemiata, Friends of the Earth Bulgaria Burundi 108. EBENEZER Cambodia 109. Social Action for Community and Development Cameroon 110. Fédération des Syndicats des Employés de la Santé, Pharmacies et Assimilés du Cameroun (FSESPAC) Canada 111. Association québécoise pour la taxation des transactions financières et pour l'action citoyenne (ATTAC-Québec) 112. Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network 113. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 114. Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD) 115. Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) 116. Common Frontiers 117. Council of Canadians 118. Council of Canadians Northumberland Chapter trade group 119. Felician Sisters 120. Inter Pares 121. MiningWatch Canada 122. National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) 123. OpenMedia 124. Public Service Alliance of Canada 125. Réseau québécois sur l'intégration continentale Chile 126. Centro Ecuménico Diego de Medellín 127. Comunidad Ecuménica Martin Luther King 128. ONG WE KIMUN 129. Plataforma Chile Mejor sin TLC Colombia 130. CENSAT Colombia Cyprus 131. Friends of the Earth Cyprus Czech Republic 132. NaZemi Democratic Republic of the Congo 133. Action Paysanne Contre la Faim 134. Conseil Régional des Organisations Non Gouvernementales de Développement Denmark 135. Colombia Solidaritet 136. KULU - Women and Development (KULU) 137. NOAH Friends of the Earth Denmark 138. Transform!Danmark Dominican Republic 139. APROGLOBO 140. Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de Enfermería, SINATRAE Egypt 141. Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement El Salvador 142. CESTA Amigos de la Tierra El Salvador Finland 143. New Wind Association France 144. Amis de la Terre 145. CCFD-Terre Solidaire 146. Institut Veblen 147. Sherpa Georgia 148. Public Service, Municipal and Bank Workers Trade Union Germany 149. BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany) 150. Forschungs- und Dokumentationszentrum Chile-Lateinamerika e.V. 151. Mehr Demokratie e.V. 152. Netzwerk Gerechter Welthandel 153. PowerShift e.V. 154. Stiftung Asienhaus 155. ver.di 156. WEED - World Economy, Ecology & Development Ghana 157. Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association Greece 158. Φίλοι της Φυσης / Naturefriends Haiti 159. Internet Society Haiti Chapter Honduras 160. Foro Dakar Honduras Hungary 161. Diverziti Association 162. Fenntarthatóság Felé Egyesület / Towards Sustainability Association 163. Magyar Természetvédők Szövetsége / Friends of the Earth Hungary 164. Védegylet Egyesület India 165. Initiative for Health & Equity in Society 166. IT for Change 167. LOCOST 168. Madhyam 169. Rajasthan Vidhyut Prasaran Mazdoor Congres (INTUC) 170. Society for Rural Education and Development Indonesia 171. Indonesia for Global Justice 172. WALHI-Friends of the Earth Indonesia Ireland 173. Action from Ireland (Afri) 174. Connect trade union 175. Latin America Solidarity Centre (LASC) 176. People's Movement 177. Social Justice Ireland 178. Stop CETA Alliance Ireland 179. zero waste alliance ireland 180. Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association Italy 181. Fairwatch Italy Japan 182. All-Japan farmers' association 183. Food Policy Center Vision21 184. Forum for Peace,Human Rights and Environment 185. Mamademo 186. National Alliance of CSO's, Trade Unions, Farmer's Unions and Cooperatives for Joint Action Opposing to EPAs Modeled after TPP 187. Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC) 188. People's Action against TPP Kenya 189. Jamaa Resource Initiatives 190. Kenya Small Farmers Forum (KESFF) 191. Natural Resources Alliance of Kenya 192. The Inter-Religious Council Of Kenya (IRCK) 193. The Kenya National Union of Nurses 194. Union of Kenya Civil Servants Lesotho 195. Policy Analysis and Research Institute of Lesotho (PARIL) 196. Rural women's assembly Liberia 197. National Health Workers' Union of Liberia (NAHWUL) Macedonia 198. Trade union of defence and security - SOB Malaysia 199. Consumers' Association of Penang 200. Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of the Earth Malaysia) Mali 201. Federation des syndicats du secteur publis du Mali Mauritania 202. Reseau Mauritanien pour l'Action Sociale RMAS Mauritius 203. Rodrigues Government Employees Association Mexico 204. Asamblea Nacional de Afectados Ambientales (ANAA) 205. Central de Organizaciones Campesinas y Populares 206. Centro de Derechos Humanos "Fray Francisco de Vitoria O.P.", A.C. 207. Centro de Estudios para el Cambio en el Campo Mexicano 208. Centro de Promoción y Educación Profesional Vasco de Quiroga 209. Otros Mundos-Amigos de la Tierra Mexico 210. Proyecto sobre Organización, Desarrollo, Educación e Investigación (PODER) 211. Red Mexicana de Acción frente al Libre Comercio (RMALC) Mongolia 212. Centre for Human Rights and Development New Zealand 213. Environmental and Human Health Aoteroaoa 214. Fancrest Estate 215. Gaia Trees 216. GE Free NZ Tai Tokerau 217. Hauraki Flooring Ltd. 218. It’s Our Future 219. Murphy Pittman Enterprises 220. New Plymouth TPPA Action Group 221. New Zealand Public Service 223. Solutions Consultancy Ltd 224. The Awareness Party 225. TPP Free Wellington 226. NZ Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi 227. Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) Nigeria 228. Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) Norway 229. Attac Norge Panama 230. Federación Nacional de Asociaciones y Organizaciones de Empleados Públicos (FENASEP) Palestie 231. Dr Haider Abdel Shafi center for Culture & Development 232. General Union of Health Service Workers (GUHSW) 233. Social & Economic Policies Monitor (Al Marsad) 234. Palestinian non governmental organizations network Peru 235. Red Peruana por una Globalización con Equidad (RedGE) Philippines 236. Alliance of Filipino Workers 237. Freedom from Debt Coalition 238. Indigenous Peoples International Centre for Policy Research and Education 239. Trade Justice Pilipinas 240. Alyansa Tigil Mina 241. Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa Poland 242. Institute of Global Responsibility Portugal 243. TROCA-Plataforma por um Comércio Internacional Justo 244. ZERO - Association for the Sustainability of the Earth System Romania 245. Declic 246. MiningWatch Senegal 247. Lumiere Synergie pour le Developpement 248. Syndicat Autonome des Travailleurs de la Sénégalaise des Eaux 249. Syndicat National des Personnels Civils des Armées et Services de Sécurité Publics Privés et Assimilés (SYNPAS) Serbia 250. Trade Union of Health and Social Care Workers NEZAVISNOST South Africa 251. NPSWU 252. South African Municipal Workers' Union South Korea 253. Knowledge Commune 254. Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society 255. MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society International Trade Committee Spain 256. Alternativa3 257. Asociación Dignitat i Solidaritat - ADIS 258. ATTAC ESPAÑA 259. CCOO de Construcción y Servicios 260. CEDSALA 261. Confederación Intersindical 262. Coordinadora Ecologista de Asturias 263. Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo 264. Debt Observatory in Globalisation 265. ECOAR))) GLOBAL 266. Ecologistas en Acción 267. ELA (Euskal Sindikatua) 268. ENTREPUEBLOS/ENTREPOBLES/ENTREPOBOS/HERRIARTE 269. Eticambio 270. Federación de Sanidad y Sectores Sociosanitarios (FSS-CCOO) 271. FeSP-UGT 272. Herver Trading SL 273. Ingeniería Sin Fronteras / Engineering Without Borders 274. Intersindical Valenciana 275. Izquierda Unida 276. La Tenda De Tot El Món 277. Mujeres de Negro contra la guerra 278. OMAL - Paz con Dignidad 279. Ong AFRICANDO 280. Pica Pica HackLab 281. Plataforma “Asturias No a los Tratados de Libre Comercio” 282. Plataforma Auditoria Ciudadana de la Deuda _Sevilla 283. Plataforma Cantabria por lo Público y Contra los Recortes Sudan 284. Gender Studies Centre Sweden 285. Friends of the Earth Sweden / Jordens Vänner Switzerland 286. Association for Proper Internet Governance Tanzania 287. Mazingira Network - Tanzania (MANET) The Netherlands 288. Both ENDS 289. FNV 290. Milieudefensie 291. Ondernemers van Nu 292. Platform Aarde Boer Consument 293. Platform Duurzame en Solidaire Economie 294. SOMO 295. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Dutch section Tunisia 296. Forum Tunisien pour les Droits Economiques et Sociaux (FTDES) Uganda 297. Buliisa Initiative for Rural Development Organisation (BIRUDO) 298. Community resources devt initiative kibaale 299. The Uganda Association of Women Lawyers, FIDA Uganda 300. Action Aid Uganda United Kingdom 301. Fresh Eyes - People to People Travel cic 302. Friends of the Earth EWNI 303. Global Justice Now 304. GMB Trade Union 305. Traidcraft Exchange 306. UNISON 307. Unite the Union 308. War on Want United States of America 309. Action on Smoking and Health 310. AFL-CIO 311. Agricultural Missions Inc 312. Alliance for Global Justice 313. Amazon Watch 314. Center for Constitutional Rights 315. Center for International Environmental Law 316. Citizens Trade Campaign 317. Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) 318. Consumer Federation of America 319. Earthworks 320. Franciscan Action Network 321. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy 322. Institute for Policy Studies, Global Economy Project 323. International Campaign for the Rohingya 324. International Center for Technology Assessment 325. International Corporate Accountability Roundtable 326. Knowledge Ecology International 327. Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns 328. People Demanding Action 329. Public Citizen 330. Sierra Club 331. The Jus Semper Global Alliance Uruguay 332. REDES-Amigos de la Tierra Uruguay Vanuatu 333. Vanuatu National Workers Union