Executive Summary:
An FTA between two highly developed trading partners sharing common values would
open markets to new goods and services, promote competition and innovation, and
inevitably increase the flows of people. Canada and Japan stand in unity on many
issues around labour standards and environmental commitments. They also continue to work together on bilateral and multilateral development issues of human rights, security and nuclear proliferation.
Both Canada and Japan have commitments to the International Labour Organization
(ILO), but both are still in need of ratifying a number of labour standards, which are
discussed within this document. Canada needs to better address labour standards,
while Japan needs to better address gender wage gaps and equal access to employment.
WTO/GATT trade rules respect countries’ rights to adopt appropriate environmental
policies, according to their respective circumstances, to protect their own environment.
This basic principle should continue to be upheld firmly (see references). At the same
time, it should be borne in mind that protectionism in the name of environmental
protection often prevents efficient allocation of resources and destroys the mutual trust
among countries, which is necessary for stable functioning of the international trading
system, consequently damaging the prospect of attaining sustainable development in
the world.
Japan and Canada have been cooperating in many fields other than economic
liberalization. The Japan-‐‑Canada/Canada Japan Inter-‐‑Parliamentary Friendship Group meets every year. Talks between the two governments include peace and security, housing, fisheries, finance, and telecommunications. Grassroots-‐‑level exchanges are also active through such programs as the JET program and the Working Holiday programmes.