Category Lobbying

Infojustice: More Than 70 Organisations Demand Finalised South Africa IP Policy

Over 70 organisations globally have called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to urgently finalise South Africa’s National Intellectual Property (IP) Policy in an open letter delivered yesterday.

New Multistakeholder Initiative: “My Data Belongs To Me”

A new initiative by the World Summit Award (WSA) initiative seeks to use its global multistakeholder network to push forward personal data ownership and big data issues at UN discussions. At an open discussion, the WSA invited participants to share views on issues with the current system of data use, the need for permission-based access, and steps for further action.

UN Advisor Denounces Junk Food As ‘Culprit’ In Rising NCDs, Calls For Change

Governments must assert the human right to health and take action against the massive rise in obesity globally, brought about by the widespread availability and pervasive marketing of unhealthy “junk” foods, Anand Grover, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, urged today.

Biovision: Industry Vision Of Disruptive Innovation Focuses On Production

LYON, France - The opening plenary session of an annual industry forum on life sciences, focusing this year on immunotherapy and ageing, highlighted disruptive innovation as a way to address growing public health challenges. The concept, however, seems open to interpretation.

Fight The Fakes Campaign Grows, Now Includes Generics Companies

The Fight the Fakes campaign announced today the support of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association and 10 other new partners for its campaign to raise awareness worldwide about the dangers of fake medicines.

Shifting Sands In The Global IP Community

Just as the world of international intellectual property law and policy is ever-changing, so are the faces within it. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has a new deputy director in Silicon Valley veteran Michelle Lee, who has been acting as director. Many changes occurred at the US Trade Representative’s office, including the naming of a top tech industry lobbyist as deputy USTR, the return to Geneva of a key US figure at the WTO, and the defection of a top IP negotiator to the copyright industry.

Open Policy Network Launched

A new network has been launched with the aim of promoting open policies worldwide. The network brings together dozens of nongovernmental organisations, universities, international organisations, foundatioins and individuals under guiding principles and a work plan. According to its website, Open…

A Call For Health Research, Innovation In The Post-2015 Era

In the post-2015 Development Agenda, United Nations members must explicitly support research and development, related policies and capacity building with special attention to the low and middle income countries, in order to advance global health targets, experts said at a recent event in Geneva.