UN Meeting Opens On Impact Of Science And Technology On Humanity 15/05/2018 by Damilola Adepeju for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A United Nations meeting gathering ministers, high-level representatives, scientists and technology experts opened yesterday with a discussion of the impacts that rapid innovative trends in science and technology have on development, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and humanity itself.
UNCTAD To Look At Rapid Technological Change And Developing Countries 10/05/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Ministers, leading scientists and innovators will gather next week at the United Nations in Geneva to discuss rapid technological change and developing countries.
Civil Society Key In TRIPS Flexibility Implementation 04/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 22 Comments When the agreement on intellectual property was adopted by the World Trade Organization, a number of flexibilities were included in the text, mainly to give developing countries policy space to implement the agreement with development considerations. However, some countries through lack of awareness or economic pressure have not used those flexibilities fully, and found themselves facing difficulties addressing their public health needs, which some associate with this failure to use the flexibilities. Civil society has engaged in notable efforts to counter pressure and raise policymakers’ awareness for a wider access to medicines.
Africa Needs To Know What It Can Trade As A Continent, Speaker Says At E-Commerce Week 19/04/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A number of African countries just joined the newly established African Continental Free Trade Area. However, e-commerce remains very marginal on the continent, which is struggling to keep up and reap the benefits of this booming business platform. During a panel of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development E-Commerce Week, an African entrepreneur gave his vision of what is hindering Africa’s e-commerce development, including the lack of awareness of what Africa has to trade.
ASEAN Members Want A Regional Agreement On E-Commerce, Less Developed Members Struggle To Catch Up 19/04/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A group of Asian countries is working towards a regional agreement on electronic commerce. During the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development e-commerce week, less developed countries of this group explained the difficult catch-up they have to fully enter into e-commerce nationally and internationally, particularly because most of their companies are small. Transport businesses, meanwhile, called for special customs rules for small companies to ease their participation in global e-commerce.
Charles Gore, Founder Of World Hepatitis Alliance, To Head Medicines Patent Pool 19/04/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Medicines Patent Pool announced today that it has appointed Charles Gore as new executive director. Gore is founder and former president of the World Hepatitis Alliance.
Officials: Sharing Economy Booming In China; Success And Challenges Of New Business Models 18/04/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The sharing economy is booming, disrupting conventional ways of doing business, creating new jobs, and new headaches for policymakers. China is promoting the sharing economy as a national strategy, as explained during the annual United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) electronic commerce event this week, and illustrated by DiDi Chuxing, a leading Chinese mobile-based transportation platform.
Panel: E-Commerce Crucial For Development, Some Eager To Negotiate At WTO 18/04/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and its annual weeklong event focused on electronic commerce inspired a group of World Trade Organization members to launch a roadmap for e-commerce last year. This week, at the start of the fourth UNCTAD E-Commerce Week, a panel commented on the importance of e-commerce discussions at the World Trade Organization, even as some of the WTO membership disagrees on a new negotiating mandate.
UNCTAD Ecommerce Week Opens, Development Dimensions, Data Protection 16/04/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As regulation of data protection is high in the global news feed following Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony to the United States Congress, the fourth edition of Electronic Commerce Week of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) opened today.
IPRs Seen To Impact Climate Change Technology Transfer In Africa 16/04/2018 by Justus Wanzala for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NAIROBI, Kenya — With high vulnerability to adverse effects of climate change, African countries are keen to develop, acquire and disseminate technologies for mitigation and adaptation.