Declaration:

Having gathered for the Dialogue of Parliamentarians and Social Movements opposed to the TPP, held in Mexico City on January 28th, 2016, we share some of the main reasons why we have adopted firm opposition and strong public action to prevent its subscription:

1. Presented as a model 21st century treaty, the TPP was negotiated by lobbyists of transnational companies in the utmost secrecy, behind the backs of citizens and parliamentarians, who are the representatives of the people.
2. The chapters and appendices that make up the TPP text contain provisions against any republican political system, the aim of consolidating the legislative and judicial powers of the executive bodies and supranational courts to settle investor-State disputes, violates the sovereignty of states and their peoples, because they are also intended to change our standards and national legal regime under the purposes and requirements of the Treaty.
3. It is against the principles of justice to grant rights to corporations that are binding on States, while the realization of full human rights are placed as a voluntary condition of compliance, as repeatedly stated in the text of the TPP, bypassing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which gives primacy to human rights over corporate profits.
4. The TPP undermines workers' rights, living wages, job and social security and undermines genuine democratic labor representation. It will increase the concentration of wealth, generating more poverty, job insecurity, unemployment and social inequality. It will also violate national and international labor relations.
5. As an immediate effect of the TPP, there will be an imminent and serious deterioration in the health of the population due to the extension of data protection for medicines. As a result, in the 12 member countries the availability of generic biologics (with lower costs) will be delayed eight years, which implies making access to health care more expensive.
6. TPP will lead to the privatization of public services to which citizens are entitled, in order to promote commercial interests.
7. TPP maintains the underdeveloped model of economies, as it establishes rules and regulations on public policy that will prevent changes in the productivity of nations, especially those dependent on exporting raw materials.
8. TPP will deepen food dependency, inequality, poverty, malnutrition, environmental degradation and rural migration already caused by NAFTA and government policies that favor large agribusiness corporations and the Green Revolution. It will represent a serious threat to farmers’ rights to exchange their own seeds and grow their own food.
9. Once the TPP is signed, parliaments may not change its texts and terms, since during the ratification process, the last stage before it is adopted, lawmakers cannot change a single character of the text. They are limited to approve or reject it and will not be able to legislate national laws contrary to the terms of the Treaty.
10. We declare that the signing of the TPP, on February 4th in Auckland, New Zealand, will be against the will of the people.

Program of Action:

Considering the analysis and proposals of the Legislators' and Social Movements’ Dialogue opposed to the TPP, the following actions are proposed:

1. Awareness campaign: we are committed to developing a public awareness campaign and partnership between legislators and civil and social movements and citizens of each of our countries, about the threat to democracy and sovereignty, and rejection of its signing and where applicable, ratification.
2. National legal resources: we are committed to seeking in a joint and coordinated manner, the possibility that each country introduce its own Constitutional challenge to the provisions of TPP.
3. Resources of international rights: we commit to explore the implementation of actions before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for its opinion on whether the TPP is a violation of human rights standards and other international standards and, where appropriate, apply protective measures against such violations. In terms of labor rights, a consultation will be asked of the United Nations agencies for proper protection.
4. Citizen and popular consultation: we commit to carry out popular and citizen consultations within each of the countries involved, with adequate provisions to ensure transparent processes and presentation of results.
5. On actions in the United States: we recognize the courageous conduct and decisive action by US lawmakers who are sensitive to the voices of protest by very broad sectors and social organizations, and consequently oppose the ratification of TPP. We therefore encourage hemispheric and other joint international efforts to denounce the threat of TPP and demand its definitive burial.
6. On actions in Canada: we welcome the proposal by progressive lawmakers in Canada, opposed to the TPP, for us to meet in Canada in the coming months with new and renewed Dialogue of Parliamentarians and Social Movements opposed to the TPP.
7. Actions of mobilization: We call on all social, civil and citizens movements in general, within the countries involved to mobilize in order to stop the approval of the TPP. Initial actions and mobilizations will begin the day of the signing of the TPP in Auckland, New Zeland.

Mexico City, January 28, 2016