Colombian Constitutional Court Endorses the Commercial Protocol

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The Colombian Constitutional Court has endorsed the law approving the Additional Protocol to the Framework Agreement of the Pacific Alliance (known as the Commercial Protocol).

With this step Colombia has completed all the internal process for the incorporation of the treaty pending only the official ratification and deposit.

On the 1st of October 2015 the final outcome of the decision was announced in a press release by the court with some important insights I would like to bring to your attention:

  • The decision reinforces the importance of the social dimension of the Pacific Alliance integration scheme when pointing out to the need that this integration scheme contributes to the reduction of poverty, social exclusion and inequality.
  • Special reference is made to the situation of the economic and social situation of the communities located in the Colombian Pacific  and how the Pacific Alliance should take this into account.

Challenges arise to work on mechanisms to enable practical plans for this dimension that should not only be rhetoric of integration schemes in the region.

Internal processes of incorporation and formal ratification are still pending in Mexico, Peru and Chile.

Source: http://www.corteconstitucional.gov.co/comunicados