Compte rendu ‒ Conseil des ADPIC ‒ Afficher les détails de l'intervention/la déclaration

Mr. Martin Glass (Hong Kong, China)
World Health Organization (WHO)
F FOLLOW-UP TO THE REVIEW UNDER PARAGRAPH 8 OF THE DECISION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PARAGRAPH 6 OF THE DOHA DECLARATION ON THE TRIPS AGREEMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH
187. The representative of the WHO provided further information on two questions featuring on the Chairman's list of issues. The first concerned an analysis of how international organizations such as the WTO and WIPO could better utilize their technical cooperation resources to implement TRIPS flexibilities through their collaboration with other organizations, including UNCTAD, WHO and UNAIDS. Since the adoption of the WHO Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, the WHO, WTO and WIPO had intensified their collaboration on all issues regarding public health and intellectual property. The three Secretariats were meeting monthly to coordinate their current activities and to discuss future joint efforts in the fields of training and capacity building, technical assistance and educational activities, which included collaboration with the WIPO Academy. This collaboration avoided duplication through parallel programmes. Instead, it allowed each organization to bring its specific strengths and expertise in jointly designed programmes. This had led to better designed programmes and greater efficiency in programme development and delivery. 188. The second comment related to the request that the WHO prepare a detailed report on the coverage of TRIPS flexibilities in its technical assistance activities. He said that further information on this issue would be included in his Organization's next report on technical cooperation activities, due to be circulated ahead of the Council's meeting in October. In advance of the forthcoming report, two recent joint activities would merit a brief presentation. Following the first WHO, WIPO and WTO symposium on "Access to Medicines: Pricing and Procurement Practices", the three organizations had organized another trilateral technical symposium on "Access to Medicines, Patent Information and Freedom to Operate" at the WHO on 18 February 2011. It had focused on the growing importance of patent information for public health, especially in the areas of procurement of medicines, technology transfer and freedom to operate strategies. The challenge of locating relevant and up-to-date information on the patent status of key essential health products had been highlighted. This was often a highly complicated undertaking, particularly for people that were not trained in this area. The meeting had thus confirmed that there was a need to facilitate access to this information, and to help procurement officers and other health officials in finding and interpreting it according to their needs. In collaboration with WIPO and the WTO, the WHO would continue to work to make patent information more accessible and understandable to people from the health sector. The programme of the symposium, a background paper, and all presentations could be found on the websites of the three organizations. Webcasts of all presentations and discussions would also be made available online. 189. Furthermore, with regard to the issue of the implementation of TRIPS flexibilities, an upcoming joint UNAIDS, WHO and UNDP Policy Brief on "Using TRIPS Flexibilities to Improve Access to HIV Treatment" would review how countries could use and had used those flexibilities to increase access to HIV treatment. The policy brief would be published later in March.
IP/C/M/65