Police, while praised by the city for a job well done, were criticized by others for provoking activists and violating constitutional rights. The TABD came to life in 1995, created by the Clinton Administration and the European Union. An invitation-only trade association, TABD aims to make trade less of a headache. In terms of free trade, government regulations are a migraine. The United States has one set of environmental, consumer and safety regulations.
European nations have their own.
TABD sees government regulations as trade barriers. WTO member countries have to accept the organization's rulings on fair-trade practices, essentially relinquishing the power to regulate corporations. They have a real good track record of getting what they suggest, whether or not we have anything to say about it. What we object to is the concept that gives corporate policymaking influence over people's lives. It's a concept that says, 'We know how to fix your economies,' as the World Bank and the IMF do.