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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>** Apologies for cross-postings**<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dear Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Please find below a press release from a coalition of
NGOs from EFTA countries (EFTA includes Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and
Iceland) concerning a letter of request they submitted to the UN Special
Rapporteur on the Right to Health regarding the health risks raised by the
EFTA-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations (see docs attached).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>These NGOs are concerned about the fact that
intellectual property (IP) rules being pushed by EFTA (Switzerland in
particular) risk harming access to affordable medicines and the right to health
in Thailand. They also want more transparency in FTA negotiations and consultation
of public-interest civil society.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Their letter follows another submission to the
Special Rapporteur sent by Thai NGOs on the 15 June 2005.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>If you want more information, please contact Julien Reinhard
from the Berne Declaration, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Switzerland</st1:country-region></st1:place>:
<a href="mailto:reinhard@ladb.ch"><font color=black><span style='color:windowtext'>reinhard@ladb.ch</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Tel: +41 21 620 03 06<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Best regards, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Davinia<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Davinia Ovett</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Programme Officer</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>3D -> Trade - Human Rights - Equitable
Economy</span></font><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=FR
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>15, Rue des Savoises</span></font><font
color=navy><span lang=FR style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=FR
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>CH-1205 Genève</span></font><font
color=navy><span lang=FR style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=FR
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Switzerland</span></font><font
color=navy><span lang=FR style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Tel: +41 22 320 21 21</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Fax:</span></font><font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'> </span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>+41 22 320 69 48</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Email: <a href="mailto:dovett@3dthree.org">dovett@3dthree.org</a></span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Website: <a href="http://www.3dthree.org">www.3dthree.org</a></span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'> <img border=0 width=110 height=48
id="_x0000_i1030" src="cid:image002.jpg@01C5759A.E60DBAC0"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:navy'>**********************************************************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Press
Release, 20 June, 2005 <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><b><font size=6 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:24.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Access to medicines threatened in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>. EFTA states should
respect the right to health.</span></font></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>17 NGOs from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Switzerland</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Norway</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Liechtenstein</st1:place></st1:country-region>
submitted today a request to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health*.
They urge him to warn the four member states of the European Free Trade
Association (EFTA: <st1:country-region w:st="on">Switzerland</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Norway</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Iceland</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Liechtenstein</st1:country-region>)
not to restrict access to affordable generic medicines in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span></font></b>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Negotiations
for an EFTA-Thailand free trade agreement will begin in mid-September. There is
a risk that EFTA member states seek to include in that agreement intellectual
property rules that undermine access to affordable generic medicines in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Such
provisions that are going further than what is required under the WTO TRIPS
agreement have been already included in previous free trade agreements from
EFTA with third countries (e.g. FTAs with <st1:country-region w:st="on">Chile</st1:country-region>
in 2003, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:country-region> in 2004 and
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tunisia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
in 2004). Access to generic medicines, especially generic version of patented
medicines, is essential in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
in particular since the country is facing a serious HIV / AIDS epidemics. Today
there are around 700'000 people living with HIV in the country. The HIV
prevalence rate among the adult population is above 1%. According to WHO
estimations 50'000 persons are receiving antiretroviral treatment while 114'000
people need it. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In their
letter of 20th June 2005 to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health,
Mr. <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Paul Hunt</st1:PersonName>, the NGOs urge him to
send an urgent appeal to ensure that EFTA member states take into account their
human rights obligations in the forthcoming negotiations. They should not
impose through the free trade agreement stricter intellectual property rules as
these would undermine <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
ability to provide affordable generic medicines for its population. This would
undermine the right to health of the Thai population and would be contrary to
the human rights obligations of EFTA member states. Also, the NGOs urged the
special rapporteur to remind EFTA member states of their human rights
obligation to ensure greater transparency and consultation with public interest
civil society throughout all negotiations of free trade agreements which have
an impact on human rights. At present the content of trade negotiations is
known to the public only after the conclusion of the agreements. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Last
Wednesday 15th June, a coalition of Thai NGOs made a similar request to the UN
Special Rapporteur on the right to health to send an urgent appeal to the Thai
government. They expressed their concerns about the human rights impacts -
especially in relation to access to affordable medicines - of the trade
agreements being negotiated by <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>
with several countries, including EFTA states. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>For more information, please contact :</span></font></b> <br>
Julien Reinhard, Déclaration de Berne / Berne Declaration (<st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Switzerland</st1:place></st1:country-region>),
+41 21 620 03 06 <br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>* The
letter is available on <a href="http://www.evb.ch/index.cfm?page_id=3647">http://www.evb.ch/index.cfm?page_id=3647</a>
<br>
The following organizations are endorsing the letter: <br>
Switzerland: Berne Declaration, Aids & Kind, Antenne Sida du Valais romand,
Bethlehem Mission Immensee, Fédération Suisse des Personnes Vivant Avec
(FSPVA), Groupe sida Genève, Médecins Sans Frontière (MSF) - Suisse, Medicus
Mundi Schweiz, SID'Action, SolidarMed, TearFund, terre des hommes schweiz,
World Vision Schweiz <br>
Liechtenstein: Liechtensteinische Gesellschaft für Umweltschutz LGU, Aktion:
Wir teilen. Das alternative Fastenopfer, Verein Welt und Heimat <br>
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Norway</st1:country-region>: Leger Uten Grenser /
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Norway</st1:place></st1:country-region> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>For more
details on TRIPS-plus provisons in EFTA free trade agreements see the report on
medicines <a href="http://www.evb.ch/cm_data/Deprive_Doha.pdf">http://www.evb.ch/cm_data/Deprive_Doha.pdf</a>
. <br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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