21 June, 2010 | Submission
The ACTU is committed to promoting and supporting sustainable development in Australia and internationally, and strongly believes international trade – based on the principles of fair trade – is first and foremost a tool for raising living standards because it has the capacity to support:
- Employment growth
- Improved social protections
- Implementation of core labour standards
- Sustainable environmental standards 1
- Adherence to human rights conventions and democratic values
While the ACTU acknowledges that the World Trade Organisation is in urgent need of comprehensive reform, we nonetheless believe Australia should pursue its trade objectives through multilateral rather than bilateral and regional agreements.
This position is informed by a number of considerations including: the transparency of global trade rules, the equitable distribution of benefits, the mitigation of trade diversion, and universal applicability of rules of origin.
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