Author: Thiru

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is convening the TRIPS Council from Tuesday, 24 February 2015 to Wednesday, 25 February 2015. As mentioned in a previous piece, Norway and the United States “have submitted a written request for the inclusion of the topic, “Intellectual Property and Innovation: Women And Innovation” (Source: WTO TRIPS Council-February 2015- Norway and the United States bring gender mainstreaming to the fore-Women and Innovation, /node/2167).

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20 February 2015

In accordance with Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/RES/26/28, the Human Rights Council convened the 2015 Social Forum at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva from 18-20, February 2015 with a focus on “access to medicines in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including best practices in this regard.”

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The Human Rights Council’s 2015 Social Forum will take place from 18 February 2015 to 20 February 2015 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

As requested by the Council in the above-mentioned resolution, the 2015 Social Forum will focus on “access to medicines in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including best practices in this regard “. (Source: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/SForum/Pages/SForum2015.aspx).

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The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will host an Expert Forum on International Technology Transfer on 16 February 2015 to 18 February 2015 at its New Conference Hall. The event is open to the public, and the link for online registration can be found here: http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/registration/form.jsp?meeting_id=35562.

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The first session of the 2015 World Trade Organization’s TRIPS Council takes place from 24 February 2015 to 25 February 2015. Like clockwork, the United States has tabled the inclusion of an additional item on Intellectual Property and Innovation. This marks the 8th time since November 2012 that the United States has submitted the inclusion of an additional agenda item to the TRIPS Council relating to intellectual property or innovation.

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On Tuesday, 27 January 2015, Argentina, Brazil, India and South Africa tabled a draft decision to extend the mandate of the Global strategy and plan of action and public health, innovation and intellectual property (EB136/CONF.7) until 2022. We expect that this draft decision will be discussed on Thursday, 29 January 2015 under agenda item 10.5, Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property. Continue Reading →

At the WTO TRIPS Council in October 2014, Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDC Group, delivered the following intervention on “Extension of the Transition Period Under Article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement for Least-Developed Country Members for Certain Obligations with Respect to Pharmaceutical Products.” The current transition period incorporate two WTO decisions, TRIPS Council decision, IP/C/25 (Extension of the Transition Period under Article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement for Least-Developed Country Members for Certain Obligat Continue Reading →

In May 2014, the World Health Organization’s member countries passed decision 67(15) instructing WHO Director-General Margaret Chan to explore, with TDR, the possibility of hosting a pooled funding mechanism for R&D. Continue Reading →

The World Health Organization (WHO) convenes its 136th Executive Board in Geneva from 26 January 2015 to 3 February 2015. Among the topics up for discussion at EB136 is the proposed evaluation of WHO”s global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property (document EB136/31). The mandate for this overall program review of the global strategy and plan of action emanates from WHA62.16, paragraph 6, which requests the WHO

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