The global strategy on public health, innovation and intellectual property aims to promote new thinking on innovation and access to medicines, as well as, provide a medium-term framework for securing an enhanced and sustainable basis for needs driven essential health research and development relevant to diseases which disproportionately affect developing countries, proposing clear objectives and priorities for Research and Development, and estimating funding needs in this area. In resolution WHA59.24 the Health Assembly recognised the growing burden of diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect developing countries, and particularly women and children. Reducing the very high incidence of communicable diseases in those countries is an overriding priority. At the same time, it is important for WHO Member States and the WHO Secretariat to recognise and better address the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases in those countries. This document serves as the outcome-document of the agreements made on 3 May 2008.
Health equity in economic and trade policies
This publication, on negotiations about trade in services indicates ways that human rights advocates can get involved to ensure their governments do not sign agreements that could have harmful human rights effects. Access to essential services, including water, education and health care are on the table as representatives at the WTO push for closure to trade talks in the coming months. Advocates must act now to ensure these agreements include full consideration of the potential human rights impacts of new policies. This Action Alert sets out actions and strategies for human rights advocates concerned about the issue.
Parliamentarians are pressurising Uganda to revoke the interim trade agreement signed between the European Union and the East African Community. The Ugandan MPs claim the partial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed at the close of last year entrenches 'unfair treatment' of the five-member bloc. The Parliamentary Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism is presently evaluating the significance of the trade relationship with EU, following a petition from over a dozen civil society groups.
This is a short report on the negotiations at the Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property. Once again, negotiations were considered unsuccessful by the developing countries as developed countries sought to maintain the status quo, which gives them unfair advantages in intellectual property rights. Negotiations were replete with instances of chicanery and doublespeak on the part of most developed countries, led by the United States. The principal thrust of their strategy has been to obstruct any forward looking measure that would promote the basic objectives of the IGWG, objectives that were designed to find real mechanisms that can promote both innovation and access to medicines that are required for the poor in developing countries.
WHO Director General Margaret Chan at the 61st World Health Assembly, raised intellectual property issues optimistically, as an opportunity for the organisation to make a difference. Chan highlighted a report due out later this year from the Commission on Social Determinants of Health, which she 'should help us address the root causes of inequities with greater precision'. She then commended members for the 'tremendous progress' made in meetings of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation, and Intellectual Property (IGWG).
Demanding assurance that their countries would be better off agreeing to enter Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union (EU), African finance and trade ministers have insisted that the development dimension must be comprehensively addressed in the deals. In a declaration on the negotiations, the ministers also urged the negotiators to ensure that EPAs take into consideration the coherence between trade and development dimensions as well as Africa's regional integration efforts. After a one-day joint meeting, convened by the African Union Commission (AUC) to give political guidance on pressing issues in the areas of trade and development in relation to the EPAs, the ministers noted that the interim deals with the European Commission (EC) were contentious on a number of issues, including the definition of substantially all trade, transitional periods, export taxes, free circulation of goods, national treatment, bilateral safeguards and the non-exclusion clause.
African countries have always struggled to participate fully in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and to influence its decisions. In addition to under-representation at WTO headquarters, the complexity of WTO bodies, rules and procedures weakens inputs. This book provides guidance in understanding how international trade institutions and agreements operate. Its aim is to provide those in charge of civil society organisations in sub-Saharan Africa with tools and references to better understand the stakes behind, and means for, their participation in world trade. Organised around descriptive and factual texts, this work contains many definitions and is illustrated by concrete experiences that facilitate reading.
The High Level Technical Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, 7-8 April, 2008 undertook a comprehensive stock taking of EPAs that have been concluded in order to provide countries with an objective and accurate assessment of the content, character and implications of the various agreements that will help guide and inform their policy choices. For example, specific studies on particular issues identified useful to assist in the negotiations should be conducted and the ACP Secretariat/Commonwealth Secretariat should assist in organising sensitisation seminars for government officials and Parliamentarians and other stakeholders on EPAs and related issues.
Intellectual property rights issues on the table in the newly invigorated World Trade Organization negotiations are at risk if remaining deep differences cannot be further narrowed in the coming weeks, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy said. A significant majority of WTO members support either the proposed TRIPS amendment, or the Geographic Indications extension, and the negotiations on each have been linked by proponents in the consultations. But a smaller number of members do not agree to negotiate on the CBD amendment or GI extension, though they do not exclude further discussion, according to Lamy.
The World Intellectual Property Organization is seen as in a state of tumult these days, as the global body searches for a new director general and tries to grapple with issues such as implementing a Development Agenda and further harmonising global patent regimes. And some industry observers think it is causing some to lose trust in the organisation.