The United States-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement Falls Short on Workers' Rights

Written Testimony Submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means

Human Rights Watch welcomes the opportunity to testify regarding workers’ human rights under the proposed United States-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (D.R.-CAFTA). Human Rights Watch takes no position on free trade per se, but we take an active interest in workers’ human rights. We believe that trade agreements can provide leverage to promote workers’ rights, but only when meaningful, enforceable labor rights protections are built into the fabric of the accords. Unfortunately, D.R.-CAFTA does not contain such protections.