[e-drug] WTO meeting on essential medicines -Where are the NGOs?

[EHOEN@paris.msf.org (Ellen T HOEN)]

E-drug: WTO meeting on essential medicines -Where are the NGOs?
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On July 6-7 The World Trade Organisation will hold a NGO conference. Part 
of this meeting will be devoted to essential medicines. See announcement 
at:  http://www.wto.org/english/forums_e/ngo_e/ngo_symp_2001_e.htm

WHO is not invited to take part in the panel and when I contacted EDM they 
were not aware of this meeting. There are no health people or NGOs on the 
programme. The speakers on medicines are: Carlos Correa, Thomas Cottier and 
Jeff Kushan. All people with legal expertise - useful but not enough. Jeff 
Kushan, ex USTR and a lawyer working for Pharma.

Now I think it is wonderful that WTO is interested in essential medicines 
but can we take the WTO serious if they are not prepared to involve NGOs 
and public health people in a panel on access to medicines other than 
allowing comments from the audience?

The WTO can hide behind official procedures when not allowing NGOs as 
observers at the TRIPS Council, but a meeting like this is an opportunity 
to involve NGOs particularly on an issue like access to medicines where 
NGOs have been the main movers and shakers. NGOs have always involved WTO 
in their discussions on trade aspects of access to medicines.

Ellen 't Hoen
MSF

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Ellen 't Hoen, LL.M.
MSF- Access to Essential Medicines Campaign
8, rue Saint-Sabin, 75544 Paris Cedex 11
tel: + 33 (0) 1 40212836
fax: + 33 (0) 1 48066868
e-mail: ellen.t.hoen@paris.msf.org
Web-site: www.accessmed-msf.org

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