WIPO General Assembly 2016: Opening Statement of Knowledge Ecology International
On October 4th, 2016, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) delivered this opening statement on the occasion of the Fifty-Sixth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
KEI General Statement – WIPO General Assembly – 2016October 4th, 2016
Thank you Chair for providing Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) the opportunity to speak today.
Summary of Report of United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines
On September 14, 2016, the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines released its report, in which they had a mandate to “review and assess proposals and recommend solutions for remedying the policy incoherence between the justifiable rights of inventors, international human rights law, trade rules and public health in the context of health technologies.”[1]
KEI Statement on United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines Report
On September 14, 2016, the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines issued its long-awaited report, which addressed the policy incoherencies between intellectual property, trade, human rights, innovation, and public health.
The report is available here: http://www.unsgaccessmeds.org/final-report/
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SCP24:WIPO patent committee adopts robust work program on patents and health, limitations and exceptions and quality of patents
On 30 June 2016, the 24th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) agreed to an ambitious work program on patents and health, exceptions and limitations to patent rights, quality of patents, transfer of technology and confidentiality of communications between clients and their patent advisors.
On patents and health, the Committee agreed to the following:
Human Rights Council adopts watershed resolution on Access to Medicines
*(The author thanks Mirza Alas and Alexandre Gajardo for their notes of the 2nd round of informal consultations held on 22 June 2016 and Sophia Simon for transcribing the statements delegations made during the plenary discussions held on 1 July 2016.)
SCP 24 – A fruitful discussion?
30 June 2016
By Sophia Simon
The World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) plays a significant role as the United Nation’s only dedicated, multilateral forum for the discussion on patents. The WIPO SCP convened for its 24th session in Geneva from 27 June 2016 to 30 June 2016.
SCP24: African Group submits revised proposal for a WIPO work program on Patents and Health
On Wednesday morning, 29 June 2016, Nigeria, on behalf of the African Group, presented a revised proposal (SCP/24/4) for a WIPO work program on Patents and Health at the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP). The African Group proposal is a welcome breath of fresh air in the patent committee; the proposal aims to make WIPO more responsive to recent developments including: 1) “Challenges to public health …. Continue Reading
Human Rights Council heats up during informal talks on the primacy of human rights over international trade and IP regimes
At the 32nd session (13 June 2016 – 1 July 2016) of the Human Rights Council, a bloc of countries known as the the Core Group (Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, India, Senegal, South Africa and Thailand) have tabled a resolution on access to medicines “premised on the primacy of human rights over international trade, investment and intellectual property regimes.” The draft resolution complements the work of the United Nations High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines in reviewing and assessing “proposals and recommend solutions for remedying the policy incoherence between the justifiable rights of inven Continue Reading
WHA69: Resolution WHA69.23 on CEWG follow-up charts course for WHO’s work on R&D
Saturday, 28 May 2016
WHA69: Resolution WHA69.23 on CEWG follow-up charts course for WHO’s work on R&D
WHO at the crossroads: negotiations to fund global R&D mired in eight pages of [bracketed] text
On Friday, 20 May 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) published document A69/40, Follow-up to the report of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination — Report of the open-ended meeting of Member States. This… Continue Reading