Letter from the People’s Vaccine Alliance and Health Action International to Dr. Tedros on C-TAP

On 21 January 2021 the People’s Vaccine Alliance and Health Action International (HAI) sent an open letter to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), expressing concern about the lack of political support and reported progress… Continue Reading

EB 148: WHO’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) comes under scrutiny

On Tuesday, 19 January 2021, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Executive Board discussed the COVID-19 response. In these discussions, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), and Health Action International (HAI) expressed concerns over WHO’s leadership of the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP).… Continue Reading

WHO informal consultation (3 December 2020) addressed concerns on price transparency and shortages

On Monday, 11 January 2021, the secretariat of the World Health Organization (WHO) published an 18 page report on the Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property (EB148/10). The Director-General’s report contains a detailed… Continue Reading

EB 148: WHO board paper on expanding access to effective treatments of cancer and rare and orphan diseases including cell and gene-based therapies

On 16 December 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) published a paper that delighted in the name, Expanding access to effective treatments for cancer and rare and orphan diseases, including medicines, vaccines, medical devices, diagnostics, assistive products, cell- and gene-based… Continue Reading

South Africa on fire: closing innings at the WTO TRIPS Council (10 December 2020)

UPDATE (16 December 2020): The WTO General Council is meeting from Wednesday, 16 December 2020 to Friday, 18 December 2020 to discuss a number of matters including e-commerce, cotton, and TRIPS Council matters. Under agenda item 13, the Chair of… Continue Reading

Musical chairs: WIPO unveils new leadership team

UPDATE: On Friday, 27 November 2020, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published document WO/CC/79/2, Appointment of Deputy Directors General and Assistant Directors General, in all six United Nations languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish) confirming the information… Continue Reading

WTO TRIPS Council – 20 November 2020 – South Africa’s defense of the TRIPS waiver

On Friday, 20 November 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened an informal, virtual meeting of the TRIPS Council to discuss a proposal (IP/C/W/669) co-sponsored by Eswatini, India, Kenya, and South Africa for a waiver from certain provisions of the… Continue Reading

WIPO SCCR 40 (hybrid session): Oral statement of Knowledge Ecology International on agenda item 5: Protection of broadcasting organizations

17 November 2020 Oral statement of Knowledge Ecology International – agenda item 5 – Protection of broadcasting organizations. New measures to address signal theft are one thing. But durable post-fixation rights to entities that just retransmit works by authors, performers… Continue Reading