Public Health, Intellectual Property, and TRIPS at 20: Innovation and Access to Medicines; Learning from the Past, Illuminating the Future

At the historic juncture of the 20th anniversary of the WTO and of the TRIPS Agreement, the fifth trilateral symposium reviewed the information base on access and innovation in medical technologies and looked at possibilities and limitations for better integrating data in support of policy makers' future work. The aim was to contribute to assisting governments and other interested parties in well-informed, evidence-based policy making.

The symposium provided an opportunity to discuss practical ways in which the twin challenges of innovation and access have been addressed. It also reviewed selected data on the complex relationship between trade in medical technologies, patents, innovation and access, including the role of TRIPS flexibilities and recent experience with the use of compulsory licenses and voluntary license agreements. For more details see briefing note here.

The symposium took place back to back with a WHO-WIPO-WTO technical workshop on patentability criteria that was held at the WTO on 27 October 2015.

PROGRAMME (download as a PDF)

Introductory remarks

28 October, 9.30-10.00

Keynote address
Hans Rosling, Professor of International Health, Karolinska Institute; Chairman, Gapminder Foundation

28 October, 10.00-10.45

Coffee break

Panel 1: Ongoing Health Challenges and Policy Responses: What Does the Data Say?
Moderator: Peter Beyer, Senior Advisor, Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property Unit, WHO

28 October, 11.45-12.30

Lunch break

Panel 2: Twin Challenges of Innovation and Access: Leveraging IP to Achieve Both
Moderator: Anatole Krattiger, Director, Global Challenges Division, WIPO

28 October, 14.30-15.45