II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 64

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we heard these words saying that we were trying to normalise our relationships with Russia before the war.

And it did not work because if we go with a hand that is open to shake the hand, and the other side as a closed

fist, we will not be able to close a trade, we will not be able to normalise our relationships with these countries.

And so, it is very important to state that international regulations must be applied in a way that all countries

must obey. Of course, if we talk about MERCOSUR which is a big subject and we would take all the evening to

in order to discuss it here, we would also try we also would have to talk about, for example, the alternatives to

gas. We are searching now for the Russian gas because it is a matter of principles that would probably let us or

oblige us to re-analyse all these matters and respect for the principles they all defend.

And so, because it is impossible to have such a discussion that is basically made by only a very, very big

discussion there would be made only by a political debate, probably the main thing that we need, is regulation,

the main thing that we need is clear rules, that all countries must abide clear rules that all trade blocks must

abide by and that way, it will be simple to say that we must use international trade in the best way possible. It

will be much simpler to say no to a country and say yes to another country in terms of trade, because we will be

we would be saying that in a more clear way.

And, of course, this report states that that clear path right now does not exist but it is something that we

must search for.

Thank you very much.

O Deputado Pedro Cegonho (PS) participou também neste debate com a seguinte intervenção:

Thank you, Madam Chair.

First, I want to congratulate our rapporteur for presenting us this report.

It is very important that the Parliamentary Assembly consider the multilateral rules-based system supported

by the World Trade Organization as the fairest, most inclusive and most balanced mechanism on a global

scale.

We must not forget history. The WTO's creation on 1 January 1995 marked the biggest reform of

international trade since the end of the Second World War.

Over the past 20 years, WTO members have agreed on major updates to the WTO rulebook to improve the

flow of global trade. The WTO's membership has expanded to 164 members, representing over 98% of

international trade.

However, WTO agreements and international human rights norms are distinct bodies of international public

law, without any explicit provisions connecting them. The open nature of WTO obligations, which allows

members to take any measures as long as they comply with the WTO's fundamental principles, makes it

difficult to identify any direct conflict between the two.

While trade liberalisation can foster growth and increase welfare, a WTO-stated goal, the WTO has been

criticised by academics, civil society and trade unions for ignoring the direct consequences of trade

liberalisation on labour standards and human rights.

We can see the objectives of raising standards of living and sustainable development are included in the

Preamble to the Agreement established at the WTO, but human rights and labour rights do not feature explicitly

in the WTO mandate. Its multilateral agreements, particularly the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

(GATT), make no reference to them.

Therefore, it is inevitable and extremely relevant that this Parliamentary Assembly approves this resolution

and these recommendations, seeking to establish a clear hierarchy of norms amongst human rights, decent

labour rights, and trade laws.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.