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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Dear colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I
am forwarding you an article published by IP-Watch on the World Health Assembly
resolution on trade and public health (see below). The resolution was adopted
on the 27 May 2006. The resolution calls on countries to consider new laws and
policies to address negative impacts of trade policies on public health.</span></font><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 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Best wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black 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="#003300" face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'>Davinia Ovett</span></font><font
color=green><span style='color:green'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'>Programme Officer</span></font><font
color=green><span style='color:green'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'> <img width=110 height=48
id="_x0000_i1031" src="cid:image001.jpg@01C6858D.CCE28CC0" border=0><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'>3D -> Trade - Human
Rights - Equitable Economy</span></font><font color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span
style='font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span lang=FR
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'>Maison des
Associations, 15 rue des Savoises</span></font><font color="#003300"
face=Tahoma><span lang=FR style='font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span lang=FR
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'>1205 Genève,
Switzerland</span></font><font color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span lang=FR
style='font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'>Tel: +41 22
320 21 21</span></font><font color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span
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size=2 color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Tahoma;color:#003300'>+41 22 320 69 48</span></font><font color="#003300"
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#003300" face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:#003300'>Email: <a
href="mailto:dovett@3dthree.org" title="mailto:cdommen@3dthree.org"><font
color="#003300"><span style='color:#003300'><span
title="mailto:cdommen@3dthree.org">dovett@3dthree.org</span></span></font></a></span></font><font
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Update on Trade and Health WHA resolution, from <a
href="http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=319&res=1024_ff&print=0">http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=319&res=1024_ff&print=0</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
<br>
<br>
<img border=0 width=245 height=96 id="_x0000_i1025"
src="cid:image002.gif@01C6858D.CCE28CC0" title=""><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div id=content>
<h2><b><font size=5 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
18.0pt'>27/5/2006<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<div>
<h3 id=post-319><b><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:13.5pt'>World Health Assembly Adopts Resolution Tying Public
Health To Trade Policy<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
World Health Assembly today adopted a resolution that urges member states to
improve coordination at the national level between international trade and
public health, requesting the World Health Organization (WHO) to help its
member states to do this.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
resolution calls for governments to promote a better dialogue on trade and
health, and gives health ministries a place at the table with other government
agencies involved in trade issues, establishing mechanisms to enable this. It
also calls on countries to consider new laws and policies to address negative
impacts on public health from trade policies, as well as potential
opportunities. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
agreement was reached on the final day of the <a
href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2006/wha59/en/index.html">22-27 May
assembly</a> of the 192 member states of the World Health Organization. The
agreement came after several developing countries agreed to rework or drop
their proposed changes to the draft resolution in order to comply with
concerns, including from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>
and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:country-region w:st="on"><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>India</span></font></st1:country-region> modified its
proposal for more explicit reference to flexibilities for developing countries
from international trade rules on intellectual property rights, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Turkey</st1:country-region> dropped an effort to add text on
transition countries, and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Venezuela</st1:place></st1:country-region>
abandoned the prospect of creating an intergovernmental working group on trade
and health. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
new resolution – International Trade and Health (EB117 R5) - was
unanimously agreed to at the January WHO Executive Board meeting, and it came
as a surprise to many delegates that three countries suggested amendments to
the draft resolution when the item was discussed on 26 May.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=3 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>India</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region>
suggested adding a new paragraph urging member states, “to reflect all
the flexibilities permitted under international trade agreements in national
laws to address public health concerns.” It also suggested adding “multi-stakeholder”
in to make the resolution read: “to promote multi-stakeholder
dialogue” on trade and health. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
said the issue of flexibilities in the World Trade Organization Agreement on
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) was already
“more than adequately covered” in other resolutions, including the
research and development resolution that also was adopted today (see related
story). It proposed deleting the Indian paragraph.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:country-region w:st="on"><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Australia</span></font></st1:country-region> also
said that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
proposal was already dealt with other places in the resolution. Moreover, it
said that the TRIPS Agreement offered the member countries the opportunity
“to take up flexibilities but does not require them to do so.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As
a compromise, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>
proposed adding its point, in a somewhat watered-down version, to another
paragraph referring to trade agreements, then reading: “using the
flexibilities inherent in them.” The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> suggested adding,
“considering where appropriate” to be added before this. This was
agreed and the resolution was adopted. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
final version (not yet available) urges WHO member states “to adopt,
where necessary, policies, laws and regulations that deal with issues
identified in that dialogue and take advantage of the potential opportunities,
and address the potential challenges that trade and trade agreements may have
for health, considering where appropriate using the flexibilities inherent in
them.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=3 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Venezuela</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region>
agreed before the final day’s debate to drop its suggestion to set up an
intergovernmental working group on the issue, sources said. On 27 May, the WHO
secretariat distributed a new draft including the changes but in the meantime <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Venezuela</st1:place></st1:country-region> had
withdrawn its proposal. Therefore, there was no discussion of the Venezuelan
proposal on 27 May. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=3 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Turkey</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region>
also agreed to drop a suggestion to add to a paragraph on the challenges and
opportunities of trade, “also taking into account the special problems of
countries through which health goods and services transit.” After some
debate involving the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>
seeking clarification, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Turkey</st1:place></st1:country-region>
withdrew its proposal “for the sake of consensus,” it said. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Two
WHO sources told <em><i><font face="Times New Roman">Intellectual Property
Watch</font></i></em> that the 26 May discussion of the draft resolution showed
that there was “very good support across the board,” and many
countries were already doing what the resolution suggested. The member
countries are now looking to the WHO to help increase their capacity in this
area, they said. The comments also showed that this is a new issue for the
World Health Assembly but not for the individual countries making up the
assembly, they said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
idea for the resolution came from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region> at the May 2005 Executive
Board meeting. Some members had argued that trade issues should remain
primarily with the World Trade Organization, but acknowledged that governments
want advice from the WHO as well, the WHO officials said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p><em><i><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>This work is licensed under a <a
href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative
Commons License</a>. All of the news articles and features on Intellectual
Property Watch are also subject to a <a
href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative
Commons License</a> which makes them available for widescale, free,
non-commercial reproduction and translation.</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen, the author of this post, may
be reached at <a href="mailto:tgerhardsen@ip-watch.ch">tgerhardsen@ip-watch.ch</a>.</span></font></i></em>
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