WTO Trains Officials On TRIPS Flexibilities For Public Health

The World Trade Organization today concluded a four-day training session to help officials from developing countries better understand and use the flexibilities to intellectual property rights built into international trade rules on IP.

The 10-13 October workshop was held in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

The flexibilities in the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) have at times come under dispute, including concern among developing countries that they are not being used as much as intended.

Discussion covered a waiver to TRIPS that allows export of medicines produced under compulsory licence to countries lacking manufacturing capabilities, and pricing and procurement policies as a key element in securing access to medicines. Other topics included: safety, efficacy and quality of medicines; technology transfer and local production; the role of competition policy; and IP provisions in regional or bilateral free trade agreements, the WTO said.

Speakers included WTO members, the research and development and generic industries, Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders), the Global Fund and the Medicines for Malaria Venture, WTO said.

There were 23 attendees, according to the WTO, from Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Iran, Jordan, Moldova, Myanmar, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, Sri Lanka, The Gambia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.