Original news and analysis on international IP policy
NEW YORK -- The United Nations General Assembly yesterday adopted a high-level political declaration on noncommunicable diseases like cancer and unhealthy lifestyle. And while it gives an infusion of political energy to the issue, some are concerned it did not go far enough and are urging strong actions to follow.
NEW YORK -- The United Nations General Assembly is meeting today for the Third High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases, and has adopted an ambitious political declaration, entitled, “Time to Deliver: Accelerating our response to address NCDs for the health and well-being of present and future generations.”
NEW YORK -- World leaders and senior representatives came together today for the first-ever High-Level Meeting on the Fight to End Tuberculosis at United Nations headquarters in New York. At the meeting, heads of state adopted a political declaration with commitments to accelerate action and funding to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030.
It is now acknowledged by most that the issue of access to medicines is not only a concern for developing and low-income countries, but a global challenge. The World Health Organization was tasked at its last annual assembly in May to draft a roadmap for access for the next five years. A preliminary draft of the roadmap was discussed last week with member states and stakeholders. The roadmap includes 10 priority activity areas, and a number of deliverables.
The Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD), a forum of United States and European Union consumer organisations, yesterday released a resolution calling on policymakers “to break out of the current dysfunctional and harmful trade-off between innovation and access,” and to delink research and development (R&D) from monopoly pricing.
After weeks of uncertainty among civil society organisations as to whether or not the United Nations political declaration on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) would uphold language on intellectual property flexibilities for affordable access to medicines, the document was finalised today with even stronger language affirming the use of these flexibilities.
The negotiated deal over the language of the United Nations political declaration on tuberculosis, a landmark in the fight against TB, has been maintained by member states and was finalised on 14 September, marking the end of intense negotiations over language on intellectual property flexibilities in the document.
Negotiators' agreed draft text for a United Nations political declaration on ending tuberculosis worldwide has been posted for all member states to see, and negotiators hope, not comment on. Under a UN procedure, the text has been placed "under silence" until 10:00am New York time on 14 September. If no one breaks the silence, the text is considered agreed and will advance to the High-Level Meeting on tuberculosis on 26 September as part of the annual UN General Assembly.
Looking at movements in the global IP community over the summer and heading into fall, many old faces among the government delegations in Geneva left for new posts, while a new set of faces is taking up residence. Meanwhile, people are on the move at international organisations and NGOs, and law firms continued to see high turnover.
A newly agreed draft text of the United Nations political declaration on tuberculosis was released to governments today, affirming the use of flexibilities in international trade rules on intellectual property, but excluding actionable language on those rules.