Knowledge Ecology International

On February 26, 2011, the World Blind Union issued a statement announcing it would “suspend participation in the WIPO Stakeholder Platform and EU Stakeholder Dialogue projects, pending agreement at WIPO on a proper binding legal framework.” [See full statement below]. The WBU statement is expected to dramatically change the environment for considering a new WIPO treaty for persons who are blind or have other disabilities.

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Congressional Research Service reports are prepared in response to requests from members of congress. For decades, right to know groups have been asking that they be available online. The CRS describes itself as follows:

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KEI’s comments on the USTR 2011 Special 301 Review are available here.

For further background on the 301 process, see: /ustr/special301 Continue Reading →

On 15 February 2011, the Co-Chairs of the WHO Open-Ended Working Group of Member States on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits (OEWG) held a consultation with civil society. The Co-chairs of the OEWG are Ambassador J. Gomez-Camacho, Mexico and Ambassador B. Angell-Hansen, Norway. Continue Reading →

Four Green/EFA MEPs (from four parties and four countries) have asked a follow-up question on ACTA and the Vienna Connection, trying to get at the “is the US bound?” issue.

Greens/EFA MEPs Christian Engström, Judith Sargentini, Sandrine Beliér and Jan Albrecht have asked the European Commission this follow-up question on ACTA and Vienna Convention:

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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) enjoy a place of prominence on the global public health agenda in 2011. At the 128th WHO EB, the assembly was abuzz with news of a joint Russian and WHO initiative, the “First global ministerial conference on healthy lifestyles and noncommunicable disease control” to be held in Moscow on 28-29 April 2011 and the UN High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Non-Communicable Diseases in September 2011.

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At the end of the month, Judit Rius will be leaving KEI and joining MSF in New York as U.S. Manager of MSF’s Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines. Judit has been with KEI since 2006, and from the beginning, contributed greatly to nearly every aspect of KEI’s work. We will miss her a lot. At MSF, Judit will work closely with another talented former KEI lawyer, Michelle Childs. We wish Judit well in her new position, and congratulate MSF on the appointment.

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Today, Tibotec, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced it has signed voluntary licensing agreements with several Indian and South African generic companies to allow generic competition on a new HIV-AIDS treatment, the investigational non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor rilpivirine hydrochloride (TMC278) (rilpivirine hydrochloride), to certain developing countries. Continue Reading →