On 21 April 2025, the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) Upgrade entered into force. This upgrade required AANZFTA Parties to review the ISDS mechanism within 18 months after the entry into force of the Upgrade. At the 13th AANZFTA Committee on Investment meeting in 2025, AANZFTA Parties agreed to commence discussions on the ISDS review in the second half of 2026.
In January 2026, DFAT called for public submissions in relation to the AANZFTA ISDS Review. Seven submissions were received:
- Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) [PDF 551 KB]
- Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET) [PDF 734 KB]
- Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) [PDF 155 KB]
- Business Council of Australia (BCA) [PDF 400 KB]
- GeneEthics [PDF 231 KB]
- Public Services International (PSI) [PDF 445 KB]
- Submission – Individual 1 [PDF 49 KB]
Stakeholder consultations
The Department anticipates conducting virtual/in-person roundtables with interested stakeholders with dates to be advised. To register your interest to attend an in-person or virtual consultation session please email: BITreformsubmissions@dfat.gov.au.