ABSTRACT
For transnational corporations like Vivendi and Bechtel, Bilateral Investment Treaties have become increasingly important tools since the defeat of the Multilateral Investment Treaty (MAI). Despite the MAI setback, the nexus between corporations and governments around the world has since proceeded apace. The United Nations announced a "Global Compact" with a number of well-known transnational corporations that had agreed to adopt certain social responsibility guidelines on a voluntary basis. The World Bank provides capital financing directly to the major water corporations themselves through its International Finance Corporation (IFC). The corporate massage involves promoting a soft public image. Like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO) has played a key role in opening up markets for transnational corporations. The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) 2000 talks have revealed that the main goal of the WTO is to protect the interests of transnational corporations at the expense of private citizens and democratic societies.
