▁on ▁as ▁their ▁closest ▁modern ▁subst it utes ." ▁ ▁Sec re cy ▁of ▁international ▁negoti ations ▁Secret ▁treat ies ▁( in ▁which ▁the ▁agreement ▁itself ▁is ▁secret ) ▁are ▁distinct ▁from ▁secret ▁negoti ations ▁( in ▁which ▁the ▁on going ▁negoti ations ▁are ▁confident ial , ▁but ▁the ▁final ▁agreement ▁is ▁public ). ▁Col in ▁War br ick ▁writes ▁that ▁in ▁Britain , ▁" the ▁pr er og ative ▁power ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁and ▁conclude ▁treat ies ▁puts ▁the ▁government ▁in ▁a ▁powerful ▁position . ▁ ▁It ▁does ▁not ▁need ▁to ▁seek ▁a ▁negoti ating ▁mand ate ▁from ▁Parliament ▁and ▁can ▁keep ▁its ▁positions ▁confident ial ▁until ▁the ▁conclusion ▁of ▁negoti ations ." ▁The ▁traditional ▁rule ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁secre cy ▁of ▁negoti ations ▁is ▁in ▁t ension ▁with ▁values ▁of ▁trans par ency : ▁Anne ▁Peters ▁writes ▁that ▁" the ▁growing ▁significance ▁of ▁mult il ater al ▁treat ies ▁as ▁global ▁... ▁instruments ▁inv ites ▁a ▁read just ment ▁of ▁the ▁relative ▁weight ▁accord ed ▁to ▁the ▁values ▁of ▁dis cre ten ess ▁and ▁confident ial ity ▁of ▁diplom atic ▁treat y ▁negoti ations ▁... ▁on ▁one ▁hand , ▁and ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁third ▁parties ▁and ▁the ▁global ▁public ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand ." ▁The ▁secre cy ▁of ▁negoti ations ▁for ▁free ▁trade ▁agre ements ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Trans - P ac ific ▁Part ners hip ▁and ▁the ▁Anti - Counter fe iting ▁Trade ▁Ag re ement ▁have ▁been ▁polit ically ▁controvers ial , Jo el ▁Rose , ▁Sec re cy