<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(19,22,25);letter-spacing:0.42px;text-align:start;white-space:nowrap"><font size="1">Third World Network and TWN Trust India invite you to the webinar<br></font><br></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(19,22,25);letter-spacing:0.42px;text-align:start;white-space:nowrap"><b>UK-India Free Trade Agreement: Weakening the public health safeguard in patent law</b></span><b><span lang="EN-IN"><br><br>Date:</span></b><span lang="EN-IN"> 20 March 2023 (Monday)</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><b><span lang="EN-IN">Time: </span></b><span lang="EN-IN">6 to 7 pm</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;text-align:justify;line-height:13.91px"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height:13.91px">Registration: </span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height:13.91px">Register in advance for this webinar:</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;text-align:justify;line-height:13.91px"><a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMucuiqqjwtEtCoELiJgt2ppEqq5a8d7S6p" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMucuiqqjwtEtCoELiJgt2ppEqq5a8d7S6p</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;text-align:justify;line-height:13.91px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">(After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.)</span><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif">The eighth round of UK-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations is scheduled to be held from 20-24 March. The leaked texts of this FTA reveal that the provisions relating to intellectual property directly undermine the public health safeguards incorporated in the Indian patent law.   </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif">The proposals in the Intellectual property chapter contain TRIPS-plus provisions that will create barriers to accessing affordable medicines and medical products, thereby increasing healthcare costs. Some of these provisions include limiting the right to challenge patents before being granted, enabling evergreening of patents (allowing multiple patents on the same drug), data exclusivity, and extension of the patent term beyond 20 years. </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif">In a recent letter, the global and national civil society organisations have written to both UK and Indian governments to remove the IP from the negotiations and increase transparency on the current status of the IP text. The letter also called for the resignation of the UK’s chief negotiator and the appointment of a new Chief Negotiator independent from pharmaceutical companies so that global health concerns, including access to affordable treatments, are not undermined but treated as priorities.</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Against this background, TWN Trust India is organising this webinar to apprise health professionals, academics, activists, and civil society organisations on the UK-India FTA and its adverse impact on access to medicines and medical products. </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>Moderator</b><br></span></font></p><ul><li style="margin-left:15px"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Prathibha Sivasubramanian, Researcher, Third World Network</font></font></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><b><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Speakers</font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"></p><ul><li style="margin-left:15px"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Ranja Sengupta, Senior Researcher and Coordinator of the Trade Programme, Third World Network</font></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Roshan John, Trade and IP Analyst, Médecins Sans Frontières -Access Campaign</font></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span lang="EN-IN"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Organised by Third World Network and TWN Trust India</font></span></p></div>