[e-drug] Motion for India from the 3rd Francophone Days on HIV/AIDS

["Ellen T HOEN" <Ellen.T.HOEN@paris.msf.org>]

E-DRUG: Motion for India from the 3rd Francophone Days on HIV/AIDS
--------------------------------

This message was sent today to the Indian mission by the president of the
Francophone summit on HIV/AIDS. This was a joint meeting of francophone
mayors bringing together representatives of Europe and francophone African
countries.
Ellen 't Hoen
MSF
Ellen.T.HOEN@paris.msf.org

Your Excellency,

During the joint meeting between the Association of French speaking Mayors
(Association Internationales des Maires Francophones - AIMF _ President :
Mr Bertrand DelanoC) and the "3C(me JournC)es francophones VIH/Sida" which
was held in Brussels on 11, 12, 13 March 2005 and where a majority of
representatives from French speaking African countries were present the
following motion has been voted at the unanimity.

Knowing that the government of India is in the process of discussing such
matter we hope that our motion will be take in consideration.

Thanking you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,
--------------------------
Prof. N. CLUMECK
President des 3C(me JournC)es francophones VIH/Sida
Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Saint-Pierre University
Hospital, Brussels, Belgium
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Motion :

The General Assembly of the International Association of French speaking
Mayors (AMIF), after a plenary meeting in Brussels on 14th March 2005, asks
for the support of international public opinion for:
-the manufacture
-exportation
-distribution
of essential generic medication, including those for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis
and malaria.

Members are concerned about restrictive interpretations of the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) regulations and reiterate their support for the
declaration on Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPS) proposals of the WTO adopted at Doha on 14th November 2001.
Competition generated by the availability of generic medication is a
decisive factor in permitting access, at reasonable prices, to patients in
developing countries.

We request that the Indian government amend their laws on intellectual
property which would guarantee even greater access to generic medication
for India and 80 other countries.

We call, therefore, on all french speaking mayors to work together with
their respective governments in refusing or questioning all commercial
agreements, which impose clauses on matters of intellectual property judged
to be more restrictive than those adopted at the WTO conference at Doha.