INTERFAITH STATEMENT ON TRADE

5. International trade and investment systems should safeguard the global commons and respect the right of local communities to protect and sustainably develop their natural resources.

The global commons include the shared natural systems and cycles that underpin the functioning of ecosystems everywhere. They are an essential component of the collective heritage of humankind. All nations and peoples, including economic actors, have a joint responsibility for protecting and conserving this heritage. Trade and investment should be carried out with vigilance and precaution, especially when scientific knowledge regarding the potential harm of such activity to the global commons is incomplete. Trade and investment should strictly respect the right and responsibility of peoples and communities to maintain the global commons through the sustainable use of their local and traditional resources.

We observe:

• Dominant patterns of production and consumption that often cause environmental devastation, depletion of resources, and extinction of species.
  
• Human activities that often overburden ecological and social systems.
  
• Local communities that risk being unable to realize the full benefits of their natural resources, including health and sustenance, due to international patent regimes.

We envision:

Trade and investment systems that safeguard the global commons, natural resources, and biodiversity; place a high premium on sustainability; account for environmental and social costs in the pricing of goods and services; and acknowledge that every form of life has intrinsic value and belongs to our global heritage.

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