Abstract:
The Additional Protocol to the Framework Agreement of the Pacific Alliance (PA Additional Protocol) sets forth an additional layer for the protection of foreign investment to the preexisting International Investment Agreements (IIAs) between the PA Member States, posing a number of systemic questions regarding the application and interpretation of different treaty provisions and the way how they interplay. Against this background, the chief purpose of this article is to ascertain the extent to which the PA Member States have preserved a regulatory space for the protection of their essential interests in the PA Additional Protocol and the pre-existing IIAs between them.

Particular emphasis is given to variations in the scope of national security and public order exceptions vis-à-vis other investment treaty provisions, taking into account potential situations of overlapping and conflict of norms between the PA Additional Protocol and the pre-existing IIAs in place.

The article concludes that the narrower scope of the national security and public order exceptions in the PA Additional Protocol is outweighed by other provisions in the treaty that carefully balance the protection of investments vis-à-vis the right to regulate in the public interest. As highlighted by the UNCTAD, the PA Additional Protocol has all the elements suggested to preserve a regulatory space for public policies of host countries and to minimize the exposure to investment arbitration in this ground; this encompasses sensitives issues that would be otherwise governed by national security and public order exceptions in pre-existing IIAs between the PA Member States.

Author: Roberto Claros
Full document:2016, Claros, Investment Protection –Drawing Lessons from the PA Investment Treaties

Abstract:
The article develops a comparative study of bilateral treaties of the members of the Pacific Alliance with China, South Korea and Japan since 1990. This field of study has been little explored; hence the article seeks to provide a first approach with special emphasis on trade relations. Therefore, the document presents a comparison between main indicators of foreign trade and the bilateral treaties with Asian counterparts. Afterwards, it focuses on the use that can be given to rules of origin within the Alliance. The text concludes that Colombia, due to its position among its partners of the Alliance, can make use of cumulation as a strategy of short and medium term to promote and diversify international trade.

Resumen:
En el presente artículo se desarrolla un estudio comparado de los tratados bilaterales de los países de la Alianza del Pacífico con China, Corea del Sur y Japón, desde 1990. Como este campo de estudio ha sido poco explorado, se busca brindar una primera aproximación con énfasis en las relaciones comerciales.

En el documento se presenta una comparación de los principales indicadores de comercio exterior y los tratados bilaterales con las contrapartes asiáticas. Partiendo de esto, se enfoca en el aprovechamiento que pueden tener las normas de origen en el marco de la Alianza. A partir de lo anterior, se concluye que Colombia, por su posición entre sus socios de la Alianza, puede hacer uso de la acumulación como una estrategia de corto y mediano plazo para promover y diversificar el comercio internacional.

Authors: Ricardo Coutin and José Miguel Terán
Spanish Title: La Alianza del Pacífico: ¿apuesta estratégica de la política exterior colombiana?
Full document: 2016, Coutin & Terán, La Alianza del Pacífico- ¿Apuesta Estratégica de la Política Exterior Colombiana?

Abstract:
Free trade is an ancient aspiration that in essence was born with the economic science in the late eighteenth century, but that has only existed in the partial and limited form in the last third of the nineteenth century and until WW1. The birth of the GATT comes after the failure of the Havana Conference and obeys to the need of the world powers at the time to liberalise trade. It proposes the creation of free trade areas and customs unions as side mechanisms of global free trade.

There are more than 400 free trade agreements. Mexico has signed 11 of them with which it formalises, although it does not start its economic opening. Mexico also has taken part in two free trade transnational alliances (TPP and Pacific Alliance), which must be carefully analysed. There is speculation around the Transpacific and Transatlantic free trade agreements and their possible influence on the global economy.

Resumen:
El libre comercio es una antigua aspiración que, en rigor, nace con la ciencia económica a fines del siglo XVIII, pero que solo ha existido, en forma parcial y limitada, en el último tercio del siglo xix y hasta la I Guerra. El nacimiento del GATT después de la II Guerra como segunda opción ante la fracasada Carta de Comercio y Empleo obedece a la necesidad de las grandes potencias comerciales de la época de liberalizar el comercio. Este prevé la formación de áreas de libre comercio y de uniones aduaneras como mecanismos alternos al libre comercio de alcance universal, existen más de 400 de estos acuerdos. México es parte en 11 de ellos, con los que formaliza, no inicia, su apertura económica y de dos agrupaciones multilaterales (Alianza del Pacífico y Acuerdo Transpacífico), lo que debe ser analizado cuidadosamente. Al final se especula en torno a los acuerdos Transpacífico y Trasatlántico y su posible influencia en el funcionamiento de la economía mundial.

Author: Antonio Gazol Sánchez
Spanish Title: Libre comercio: tratados y nuevo orden. Un balance
Full document: 2016, Gazol, Libre Comercio- Tratados y Nuevo Orden- Un balance