Indigenous Groups Allege Canadian Obstructionism To Biodiversity ABS Protocol 21/10/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NAGOYA, JAPAN – With the clock ticking and less than a day to go before a draft of a legally binding instrument to prevent biopiracy is due to be presented to the assembly of a major United Nations meeting on biodiversity, delegations kept trying to find acceptable language, with different echoes coming from the negotiating room. Meanwhile, Canadian indigenous people convened a press briefing today (21 October) to charge that Canada was trying to block the negotiations and deny their human rights.
WHO Moves IP, Innovation Out Of Director General’s Office 19/10/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization has moved responsibility for intellectual property and innovation issues out of the direct control of the WHO director general and into the company of information, evidence and research, according to sources.
WHO Report: Progress On Neglected Tropical Diseases 14/10/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new report released today by the World Health Organization found that 17 neglected tropical diseases can be controlled. If strategies set out in the report are implemented widely, “they can substantially reduce the disease burden, breaking a cycle of infection, disability and lost opportunities that keep people in poverty, WHO Director General Margaret Chan said in a press release.
Sign Up For Email Alerts Of IP-Watch Briefs! 13/10/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Now available for Intellectual Property Watch readers: Email alerts for the IP-Watch Burble microblog, our breaking news briefs. A free service available to all, just sign up for email alerts here if you don’t already receive them. If you already receive IP-Watch email alerts, just scroll to the bottom of any email you receive (like this one) and click the link under “If you would like to modify the settings of your subscription,” which takes you to your individualised settings. Then add Burble to your categories. And of course you can also follow us on Twitter or by RSS feed, see www.ip-watch.org. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@ip-watch.ch.
Special Report: Geneva, Public Health Capital Of The World 30/08/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment International public health in Geneva is no longer just the province of the World Health Organization. Dozens of intergovernmental and non-governmental agencies, along with financing organisations and partnerships, have headquartered their operations in Geneva, making the mid-sized Swiss city a public health capital of the world. Many of these organisations are engaged in addressing the critical interface between public health, development and innovation, including intellectual property rights. The following is a backgrounder and guide to many of the organisations working on these issues in town.
WHO Declares Flu Pandemic Over; Experts Behind Response Revealed 10/08/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The pandemic threat of the H1N1 or “swine flu” virus has now passed, World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan announced today.
Coverage Of Anti-Counterfeit Policy Debate Varies Widely Across Global Media 02/08/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Are counterfeit products first and foremost a threat to human health and safety or is provoking anxiety just a clever way for wealthy nations to create sympathy for increased protection of their intellectual property rights? In Geneva the debate is raging, but a look at a sample of coverage of this issue in the world’s news media shows it can vary greatly.
Experts, Policymakers Debate Solutions For Counterfeit Products 30/07/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A group of policymakers and other experts met this month in Geneva to discuss counterfeit and unsafe products and wrestled with possible balanced solutions to the problem. The event was hosted by the United States mission and supported by the US Chamber of Commerce. It included US Ambassador to the UN Betty E. King, among dozens of others.
Agencies Talk Cooperation On Medicines Access; Stakeholders Cautious 19/07/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Key international agencies for health, trade and intellectual property on Friday jointly organised a symposium on access to medicines in an effort to gather information and expertise as a basis of a collaborative response to the challenges of public health.
WHO Flu Misconduct Debate Polarising As Independent Review Advances 07/07/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments “Exactly a year ago, a very bad decision was taken” by the World Health Organization that now seems “unscientific and irrational,” said Council of Europe parliamentarian Paul Flynn in a late June presentation of a new report on the WHO’s actions during the 2009 influenza pandemic. But opinions heard at an ongoing review of the WHO’s pandemic response were mixed, with some praising the organisation’s work to protect public health and others critiquing what they say is suspicious secrecy.