States in danger when they want to protect their populations? - The "investor-state dispute settlement" mechanism in Covid-19 time - 600 social organizations from 90 countries are reacting!

All around the world, many governments are taking action to save lives, stem the pandemic, protect jobs, fight economic disasters and ensure that people's basic needs are met. The scale of these measures is unprecedented in modern times and the need for these actions is clear. Yet these measures can be questioned and attacked, legally, by multinationals!

States are facing a wave of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) lawsuits that could expose these crucial government measures to multi-million dollar claims from foreign investors. The number of such claims could also be unprecedented and could possibly impose significant financial burdens on governments already facing devastating health and economic crises. Lawsuits could arise from actions taken by many governments trying to, for example, ensure access to clean water for hand washing by freezing utility bills and suspending cut-offs, or to ensure that medicines, tests and vaccines are affordable for people. 

Along with 600 other organizations from 90 countries around the world, WSM is calling for the permanent suspension of this unfair mechanism, made possible by hundreds of free trade agreements signed between states. The entire open letter can be found here.