Fernando Hernandez Espino
Systemic Change • International Trade and Investment • Human Rights • Environmental Justice • Corporate Accountability • New Economics • Transnational Agrarian Movements • Land Rights
I am a well-trained activist who focuses on economic policies and its effects on people's livelihoods, human rights and the environment. I have worked supporting rural cooperatives and collaborated with grassroots organisations across the world. My work at Both ENDS is led by the partner's objectives to achieve justice and their rights to dignity and wellbeing respected. As a part of the Trade and Investment team and together with our partners we strive for systemic changes where human rights and the environment are above profits.
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Dossier
Rights for People, Rules for Corporations – Stop ISDS!
Indigenous communities in Paraguay saw their attempts to regain their ancestral lands thwarted by German investors. In Indonesia, US-based mining companies succeeded to roll back new laws that were meant to boost the country’s economic development and protect its forests. This is the level of impact that investment treaties can have on social, environmental and economic development and rights. Why? Because of the ‘Investor-to-State Dispute Settlement’ clauses that are included in many such treaties.
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Dossier
Trade agreements
International trade agreements often have far-reaching consequences not only for the economy of a country, but also for people and the environment. It is primarily the most vulnerable groups who suffer most from these agreements.
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Dossier
Investment treaties
Investment treaties must be inclusive, sustainable and fair. That means that they must not put the interests of companies before those of people and their living environment.
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News / 26 June 2020
630 civil society groups sound alarm over wave of Covid-19 claims in 'corporate courts'
Countries could be facing a wave of cases from transnational corporations suing governments over actions taken to respond to the Covid pandemic using a system known as investor-state dispute settlement, or ISDS. Cases could arise from actions that many governments have taken to save lives, stem the pandemic, protect jobs, counter economic disaster and ensure peoples' basic needs are met. Threats of cases have already been made in Peru over the suspension of charging on toll roads, and law firms are actively advising corporations of the options open to them. 630 organisations from across the world, representing hundreds of millions of people, are calling on governments in an open letter to urgently take action to shut down this threat. The letter below is published today.
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News / 8 March 2020
Pursuing the right to livelihood and dignity for women workers in the Ugandan palm oil sector
SEATINI Uganda is engaging women working in the palm oil sector in a campaign to improve their work situation. Around International Women's Day, March 8, they are organizing various actions to gain awareness for the situation and the rights of these women workers.
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News / 11 October 2019
Rights for people, rules for corporations: the case of Paraguay
Indigenous communities in Paraguay saw their attempts to regain their ancestral lands thwarted by German investors. This is the level of impact that investment treaties can have on social, environmental and economic development and rights. Why? Because of the ‘Investor-to-State Dispute Settlement’ (ISDS) clauses that are included in many such treaties.