The central theme of the human rights research series is the nature and importance of international human rights standards, their application and promotion in the national legal order, their interaction with national standards and international monitoring of this application. Anyone directly involved in the definition, investigation, implementation, monitoring or enforcement of human rights will consider this series to be an indispensable reference tool. The series is published in collaboration with the renowned Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research (formerly School of Human Rights Research), a joint work of human rights researchers in the Netherlands. Dr. Antoine Buyse (University of Utrecht), Prof. Dr. Fons Coomans (Maastricht University), Prof. Dr. Yvonne Donders (Chair – University of Amsterdam), Dr. Antenor de Wolf (University of Groningen), Prof. Dr. Dr.

Nicola Jugers (University of Tilburg) Prof. Titia Loenen (University of Leiden) Prof. Janne Nijman (T.M.C. Asser Instituut) and Prof. Dr. Brigit Toebes (University of Groning). With a subscription to the series, you get a 15% discount on each volume! Richard James, evaluation coordinator for the European Commission`s Directorate-General for Trade, described the evolution of thinking within the Commission and some ways to improve the real impact of the evaluations carried out. However, so far, there appears to be little evidence that the results of the impact assessments carried out at EU level have directly influenced the formulation of trade policy. There is an urgent need to understand how to make human rights a driver of trade policy, and this is an issue that would benefit from confrontation with civil society, scientists, researchers, businesses and government policy makers. As part of this understanding, it will be important to clarify and refine when and how HRIAs can make a useful contribution to trade policy decision-making. In the age of globalization, free trade should mean prosperity for all. But too often, small farmers, indigenous peoples, people infected with HIV and others are excluded.

The future of human rights assessments of trade agreements proposes a new way to make free trade work for all. It explores how trade pacts can benefit people, but also threaten their fundamental rights – access to food, medicine, education or the protection of their cultural heritage – and develops a gradual process to determine the human impact of trade before trade pacts are concluded. A case study examines the impact of a U.S.-Central American trade agreement on access to medicines in Costa Rica to show how the progressive process works in practice. The process is working, but more effort is needed to ensure that these trade policy assessments become standard practices. Human rights NGOs and academics, as well as governments, should be at the forefront in the future. The future of human rights assessments of trade agreements is important for all those who believe that globalization can do more, not only for business and the economy, but also for all, including the poorest. Through the book`Simon Walker, he provides a comprehensive analysis of the current and future use of HRIA in the context of trade agreements, although some of his discoveries beyond trade may be applicable to other contexts.