Trade Agreements vs. National Sovereignty

So called “trade agreements” are altering the actual sovereign powers of nation-states in a creeping, and creepy, way. What are the projections and implications of this trajectory?

Here’s just one example: Harper Moves to Give Up More Canadian Sovereignty

Quote:

Investor-state arbitration allows foreign companies to bypass national courts and sue countries directly before special tribunals. The process is one-way; countries cannot bring claims against companies...ICSID marks a roll-back of independent judging in the name of globalization. Uniquely, the ICSID Convention allows awards against countries to be enforced without any judicial review. Other houses for investor-state arbitration allow at least for limited review by domestic courts, although typically only in a place chosen by the investor-state arbitrators themselves. ...ICSID grants to arbitrators an immense power over the public purse, even to review Parliament and domestic courts. And, by ratifying the ICSID Convention, the Harper government has given ICSID awards the status of a Supreme Court of Canada decision, without affording any opportunity for review in any court.

According to Article 54 of the Convention: "Each Contracting State shall recognize an award... as binding and enforce the pecuniary obligations imposed by that award within its territories as if it were a final judgment of a court in that State." --Gus Van Harten is an associate professor at Osgoode Hall Law School…

Through such agreements, nation states are becoming the puppets of corporations, basically carrying out corporate orders to subjugate people and ravage resources.

edit: I know this isn't a new topic at all, but am interested in discussion on how the idea of national sovereignty and power of nation states are structurally being changed/challenged through the stealth methods of ongoing trade deals - and what to do about it.