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Campaign for a Public Health Advisory Committee on Trade (PHACT)
Reframing global trade policy. The global economy is at a crossroads. Financial instability, emerging economies, and environmental change present challenges to business as usual.
Over the past decade public health has become a countervailing force in trade policy.
We have the opportunity and imperative to integrate public health’s perspective and participation as a new U.S. administration confronts today’s challenges. In response to a campaign by the CPATH network and legislation proposed by allies in Congress (HR 2293/Van Hollen
and S.1664/Stabenow), the Administration is revamping the membership of trade advisory committees, and adding public health
members to existing committees. These committees are looking at the nexus between trade and other international agreements,
such as environmental and health agreements, as well as institutions such as the World Health Organization. The Campaign for a Public Health Advisory Committee on Trade (PHACT) offers renewed opportunities
to reverse policies with a negative impact on public health, and implement policies that promote and protect health.
CPATH and the APHA
Trade and Health Forum are soliciting resumes from individuals who would like to serve on trade advisory committees. Please send your resume and a brief statement
indicating interest in a particular committee to Ellen Shaffer at ershaffer@cpath.org.
We’ve identified at least 9 Committees
in Tier 3 that address trade and health issues:
Chemical, Pharmaceuticals, Health Science
Products (ITAC 3)
Consumer Goods (ITAC 4)
Distribution Services (ITAC 5)
Information and Communications Technologies,
Services, and Electronic Commerce (ITAC 8)
Services and Finance (ITAC 10)
Customs and Trade Facilitation (ITAC 14)
Intellectual Property Rights (ITAC 15)
Standards and Technical Trade Barriers (ITAC
16)
Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton,
Peanuts (ATAC)
Click here for background about advisory committee nominations
CPATH at Ways & Means Hearing on Trade Advisory Committees, HR 2293
On Tuesday, July 21, 2009, at 10 a.m.,
the Trade Subcommittee of the House Committee on Way and Means held a hearing on how the U.S.
trade advisory committee system is functioning, and on how to increase transparency and public participation in the development
of U.S. trade policy.
The hearing
examined the development of trade policy from several perspectives. CPATH Co-Director
Ellen R. Shaffer, PhD MPH, was an invited witness and discussed the importance of public health representation on U.S.
trade advisory committees. Her testimony, and the testimony of other witnesses, can
be found under 'Congressional Hearing on Trade Advisory Commitees.'
Reps. Chris
Van Hollen (D-MD) and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) have introduced HR 2293 to add a Public Health Advisory Committee on Trade (PHACT) to
the influential Second Tier of the Federal Trade Advisory Committee System.
The hearing took
place at Room 1100, Longworth
House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Committee Advisory Note:
Cick here for Hearing Advisory Notice
ADD YOUR ORGANIZATION'S SUPPORT:
To Members of Congress:
Please Co-Sponsor HR 2293/S. 1644, The
Public Health Trade Advisory Committee Act [Introduction]
We're writing to ask
you to co-sponsor H.R. 2293/S. 1644, the Public Health Trade Advisory Committee Act.
Global trade agreements
increasingly affect the public's health, from the price of medicines to regulations that protect the safety of food and water
supplies.
The Government Accountability Office and the Center for Policy Analysis on Trade and Health (CPATH) have documented
the absence of public health representation on U.S. trade advisory committees. Advisors from health-related industries including pharmaceuticals, tobacco, processed foods, alcohol beverage
and health insurance have had exclusive access to government trade negotiators.... [See full Letter of Support:]
Click here to download full Letter of Support
Bill Summary: H. R. 2293 –
The Public Health Trade Advisory Committee Act
SECTION 1. PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ON TRADE.
Establishes a Public Health Advisory Committee
on Trade (PHACT) as a Tier 2 committee. It states that members shall be appointed from nominations submitted by organizations
with an interest in improving and protecting public health. They should have
expertise in one or more of 5 areas: trade and sustainable development; public health’s right to regulate in areas including
tobacco control, alcohol control, and standards to ensure safe food, air and water; vital human services; occupational safety
and health; or access to affordable prescription drugs. Members cannot represent for-profit entities, or receive significant
financial support for a for-profit entity represented on any other trade advisory committee.
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS ON ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR TRADE POLICY AND NEGOTIATIONS.
Requires the appointment of a public health NGO
representative to the Tier 1 ACTPN. An eligible NGO cannot receive 20% or more
of its total funding from a single commercial, for-profit entity, or 30% of its total funding from commercial for-profit entities.
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF REQUIRED CONSULTATIONS
WITH ADVISORY COMMITTEES DURING TRADE NEGOTIATIONS.
Includes Health and Human Services as an Agency
to receive information from trade advisory committees. Requires Agencies including USTR, Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, HHS, Labor and Defense, to consult with the advisory
committees before, during and after negotiations, and to respond in writing to their concerns. Written advisory committee
opinions should include any dissenting views.
SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORTS ON
TRADE AGREEMENTS.
Advisory committees shall submit a report on the
expected effects of proposed trade agreements no later than the date that the President notifies Congress of the intent to
negotiate. Reports shall include the extent to which the trade agreement promotes:
the economic interests of the U.S.; public health and the environment; and equity and reciprocity in particular sectors. It shall also include a summary of any dissenting opinions by committee members. The reports shall be available on the USTR’s website unless the President determines a particular
report should not, according to specified criteria.
Click here to download Summary of HR 2293
Public Health Officials Applaud HR 2293 (Van Hollen/Doggett) - Would Create a Public Health Advisory Committee on Trade (PHACT), Open USTR Committees to Public
Scrutiny
Rep. Chris Van
Hollen (D-MD) has joined Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) to introduce HR 2293, the Public
Health Trade Advisory Committee Act. The legislation amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require that a Public Health Advisory Committee on Trade (PHACT) be added to the influential Second Tier
of the Federal Trade Advisory Committee System.
The Trade Advisory
Committee System was created to help the president develop U.S. trade policy. The new committee will give public health concerns greater
consideration at the onset of trade agreement formation and ultimately make America safer
and healthier.
Additionally, the bill
requires greater openness and transparency in how all of the trade advisory committees operate. The changes would involve
more timely communications among committees, Congress and the Administration, and hold the Administration accountable for
responding to committees’ concerns.
Click here for public health leaders' comments on HR 2293
CPATH Responds to NY Times: Health Key to Trade and Properity
12/27/07 NY Times, CPATH response to "Trade and Prosperity" editorial:
To the Editor:
Current trade agreements preclude
and sometimes reverse the very safety net you propose to ameliorate their damage, as new Congressional leaders recognize.
Trade pacts undermine access to affordable medicines and offer new levers of power to the drug, tobacco, alcohol, health care
and processed food industries. These industries dominate United States federal trade advisory committees and influence trade policy to
promote the bottom line over health.
The public, the candidates
and The Times are right to call for affordable health care. We also need a new, sustainable trade model that does
not destabilize public health benefits where they exist or are emerging among our trading partners. These are the genuine
keys to prosperity.
Ellen R. Shaffer
San Francisco, Dec. 23, 2007
The writer is co-director
of the Center for Policy Analysis on Trade and Health.
To see the original editorial
and responses:
Click Here to download file
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Campaign for Public Health Representation in Trade Policy
CPATH is coordinating the call by U.S. health organizations to include advocates
for the public’s health on the U.S. Trade Representative's Advisory Committees, and to open Committee meetings
to public scrutiny. Committee members enjoy significant influence on trade policy, according to a report by the Government
Accountability Office. Committees currently include representatives of the pharmaceutical,
tobacco, health insurance, alcohol and processed food industries. The Committees
are legally required to present fairly balanced views on trade negotiations. There are no representatives of organizations concerned with the effects of international trade on health.
Many members of Congress strongly support the goal of public health
representation in trade policy.
GAO: U.S. Trade Policy Neglects Public Health
On 10/30/07, Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy released a GAO report which finds that U.S. trade policy under the Bush
Administration has neglected public health and the Doha Declaration, which affirms the right of WTO members to “promote
access to medicines for all.”
Formal public health input into trade policy from the public health
community has been limited, according to the GAO. U.S.T.R. receives counsel on specific sectors and issues from
fourteen “trade advisory committees.” Most have no public health representation.
Click here for GAO Report
Van Hollen/Waxman Bill Called for Public Health Trade Advisors - Aug. 2007
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced HR 3204 in 2007, to expand public health representation
on trade advisory committees, and assure an active role for Congress and the public in setting trade policy. Rep. Henry
Waxman was an original co-sponsor. In the current Congress, Rep. Van Hollen has introduced HR 2293, co-sponsored
by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) - see above on this page.
Click here for Summary of HR 3204
Click here for Full Text of HR 3204
Why USTR Must Take Action to Represent Public Health
on U.S. Trade Advisory Committees: A Brief Trade and Health Timeline, 1948-2006
June 16, 2006
click here for Timetable June 2006
Six key Senators and 9 Congressional Representatives urge the
USTR to represent public health in trade negotiations.
click here for letter from key Senators and House Reps
Notes
from Meeting of Public Health Organizations and Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)
June 12, 2006
Summary:
Public health organizations and members of Congress have asserted public health’s strong interest in serving on trade
advisory committees that influence US trade policies. The USTR’s office has agreed that public health has a legitimate
claim to be represented. On December 16, 2005, the Department of Commerce and USTR posted a Federal Register announcement
seeking public health nominees to Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) 3 (Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Health/Science
Products & Services) and 15 (Intellectual Property).
To
date, no nominees have been selected. The USTR has not responded to reasonable requests from public health groups for deadlines
on appointments. During that time, ITAC 3 has established a subcommittee on pharmaceuticals and intellectual property, which
continues to meet without public health representation.
Read a report of the meeting
HEALTH GROUPS CALL FOR REPRESENTATION May
2, 2005
Nine national health organizations called on the U.S. Trade Representative
and Secretary of Commerce to include advocates for the public's health on its Advisory Committees, and to open Committee meetings
to public scrutiny.
The
organizations are: CPATH, American College of Preventive Medicine,
American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, California Conference of Local Health Officers, Doctors for
Global Health, National Association of Community Health Centers, Physicians for Human Rights, and Physicians for Social Responsibility.
click here for Letter Requesting Public Health Representation, May 2, 2005
click here for Press Release May 2, 2005
CPATH REPORT: INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADVISORY COMMITTEES
WARRANTING PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE REPRESENTATION May 2, 2005
CPATH
analyzes United States trade advisory committees which currently lack and warrant public health and health care and health
care representation. Statements from advisory committee reports demonstrate that they are of interest to and directly affect
the work of the Public Health and Health Care community.
click here for full report
USTR Response to Request for Public Health Representation June 2005
CPATH Briefing Paper: International Trade Advisory Committee
System Should Include Public Health Representation, September, 2004.
click here for full report
On December 14, 2005, US health groups announce a federal suit against the US Government calling for
representation on trade policy advisory committees.
click here for Press Release December 14, 2005
USTR response to notice of intent to sue. 12-05
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TRADE ADVISORY
COMMITTEES
BIG BUSINESS:
42
PUBLIC HEALTH: 0
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TOTAL BIG BUSINESS
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42
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TOTAL PUBLIC HEALTH
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0
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The U. S. Trade Advisory Committees are
legally required to represent a fair balance of interests. The table above shows the reported breakdown of
members prior to CPATH's work to promote public health representation.
Since 2005, as a result of CPATH’s
Campaign for Public Health Accountability, the USTR has appointed a tobacco control representative to a key Advisory Committee,
on Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts, and a public health professional to the Advisoy Committee on Pharmaceuticals, reflected in
the table below.
TRADE ADVISORY
COMMITTEES
BIG BUSINESS:
42
PUBLIC HEALTH: 3
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To sign up or volunteer for an event, see our "Contact Us" page.
Bringing a Public Health Voice to Global Trade and Sustainable
Development CPATH Ellen R. Shaffer and Joe Brenner, Co-Directors San
Francisco Presidio P.O. Box 29586, San Francisco, CA 94129 phone 415-922-6204
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