Dallas, TX – Today, stakeholders representing a range of interests and policy areas spoke directly with negotiators about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), currently in the twelfth round of negotiations at the Intercontinental Hotel. USTR organized a Direct Stakeholder Engagement Event on-site at the hotel where the TPP talks are underway, to provide a venue for non-governmental organizations, academia, business and industry groups to have substantive conversations with negotiators about their areas of concern.
An NGO stakeholder (right) engages a TPP negotiator.
Several dozen organizations participated in the direct engagement event, representing stakeholders in labor, the environment, intellectual property, consumers, textiles and apparel, agriculture and other policy areas.
Among the participants were the AFL-CIO, American University Washington College of Law, the Business Software Alliance, the National Milk Producers Association, the National Oilseed Processors Association, Occupy Dallas, PhRMA, Public Citizen’s Global Access to Medicines, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The open format allowed negotiators representing the nine Trans-Pacific Partnership countries to discuss areas of concern directly with participants.
One NGO representative said "This format was a big improvement and a useful way to proceed".
Another said "We were glad that many negotiators in our issue area attended, as well as some chiefs (negotiators), and we hope that continues".
Negotiators also responded favorably to the opportunity to sit down and dialogue with stakeholders.
"The opportunity for negotiators to discuss issues one-on-one and in depth was extremely useful,” said USTR Chief Negotiator Barbara Weisel. “This direct engagement with stakeholders with different perspectives on the issues will result in a better agreement."
Stakeholders and negotiators discuss issues of concern.
Stakeholder Event Participants at TPP Round 12
AdvaMed
AFL-CIO, ITUC, MTUC
Alphapharm Pty Limited
American Automotive Policy Council
American University
American University Washington College of Law
Association of American Publishers
Biotechnology Industry Organization
Business Software Alliance
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
Citizens Trade Campaign
Coalition for a Prosperous America
Coalition of Service Industries
Computer & Communications Industry Association
Copyright Alliance
Electronic Frontier Foundation
FedEx Express
Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America
Friends of the Earth
Generic Pharmaceutical Association
Global Intellectual Property Center
Grocery Manufacturers Association
Institute for Policy Innovation
International Dairy Foods Association
Internet New Zealand
Knowledge Ecology International
Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commission
MFJ International, LLC
Motion Picture Association of America
Mylan
National Council of Textile Organizations
National Foreign Trade Council
National Milk Producers/U.S. Dairy Export
Council
National Oilseed Processors Association
Occupy Dallas
Personal Care Products Council
PhRMA
Property Rights Alliance
Public Citizen, Global Access to Medicines
Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch
Public Knowledge
Rubber and Plastic Footwear Manufacturers Association
Semiconductor Industry Association
Sierra Club
Software & Information Industry Association
Third World Network
TPP Apparel Coalition
U.S. Business Coalition for the TPP
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association
(VITAS)
Wal-Mart Stores,Inc
