Obama administration blocking consensus at Human Rights Council on access to medicines resolution

In their introduction to Realizing the Right to Health, Andrew Clapham and Mary Robinson provide the following anecdote.

The run up to the 2008 election in the United States focused at one point on the nature of health care in America. During the second presidential debate, the candidates were asked the following question: “Is health care in America a privilege, a right, or a responsibility?” Senator Obama (as he then was) replied as follows:

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Previous draft treaty texts

2009 SCCR 18, May 25 to May 29, 2009. At this meeting, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay introduced formally the proposal that the World Blind Union had drafted in 2008. Proposal by Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay, Relating to Limitations and Exceptions:… Continue Reading

WTO TRIPS Council: Intervention of India on Intellectual Property, Climate Change and Development (June 2013)

On 27 February 2013, Ecuador submitted a paper (IP/C/W/585) to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Council) titled “Contribution of Intellectual Property to Facilitating the Transfer of Environmentally Rational Technology“. This subject was placed under agenda item 11 at the June TRIPS Council’s meeting under the heading of “Intellectual Property, Climate Change and Development”.

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Four Department of State cables on Thailand, for Special 301 Review (Years 2009 to 2011)

The following are four US Department of State cables discussing the status of Thailand as regards the USTR Special 301 review. KEI recently received the cables from the US Department of State in response to an earlier FOIA request.

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DG Trade’s May 17, 2013 briefing on the IP Chapter of the TTIP

TTIP Briefing 20130517On May 17, 2013, DG trade held a public briefing on the IP Chapter for the TTIP and the E/Japan trade agreement. The TTIP discussion was led by Pedro Velasco Martins, the Deputy Head of Unit for Intellectual Property and Public Procurement. Unlike some recent USTR briefings, which were off-the-record, this was on-the-record meeting, and DG Trade even displayed a suggested twitter hash tag.

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