Side Event On UN High-Level Panel On Access To Medicines Next Week At WTO

As the World Trade Organization intellectual property committee meeting next week is expected to discuss the report of the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines next week, a group of developing countries is convening a side event to engage in discussion with members of the panel. The report included several direct recommendations to WTO members.

The side event [pdf], organised by Bangladesh, Brazil, India, South Africa, the Secretariat of the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, and the South Centre, is scheduled to take place on 1 March.

The Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is meeting from 1-2 March, and is expected to discuss the report of the High-Level Panel (IPW, WTO/TRIPS, 21 February 2017).

The side event agenda of the event titled, “Advancing Health Technology Innovation & Access in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” features Suerie Moon, director of research, Global Health Centre, and Visiting Lecturer at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, and member of the High-Level Panel’s Expert Advisory Group; Ruth Dreifuss, former president of the Swiss Confederation and co-Chair of the High-Level Panel; Celso Amorim, chairman of the UNITAID Board, former minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil and member of the High-Level Panel; Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh ambassador; Evandro Didonet, Brazil ambassador; and Professor Carlos Correa, special advisor, trade and intellectual property at the South Centre, and member of the High-Level Panel’s Expert Advisory Group.