Paul van der Heijden, emeritus professor International Labour Law, was recently appointed by the British Minister for Trade as an independent arbitrator under the dispute settlement provisions of the United Kingdom's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Japan.
After Brexit, the UK has had to renegotiate many trade agreements.
Van der Heijden had previously been appointed to a similar position by the United States based on the dispute settlement provisions of the trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada.
Modern FTAs, in addition to provisions on trade products and on the environment/climate, include chapters on how goods are made, decent work, and basic labour rights. Disputes between contracting parties on the interpretation of the FTA are decided by a panel of arbitrators.
