Title: Breakfast Meeting for Ambassadors of the Group of 77 and China
Launch of Project: A Public Health Approach to Intellectual Property Rights
Date and Time: 9 November 2018, 9-10 AM
Venue: Intercontinental Hotel, Room Méditerranée – Benelux, First Floor
Organizers: South Centre
Title: Regional Conference on Combating Antimicrobial Resistance in Africa to Achieve the 2030 Agenda
Date: 5-7 November 2018
Venue: Nairobi, Kenya
Organizers: South Centre and ReAct Africa
Setting the pillars to enforce corporate human rights obligations stemming from international law
By Daniel Uribe
The release of the Zero Draft of the Legally Binding Instrument to Regulate, in International Human Rights Law, the Activities of Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises by the Chairperson of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Business and Human Rights (OEIGWG), is likely to revive discussions on the recognition of corporate entities as subjects of international law. The present brief examines corporate entities’ human rights obligations in the context of the Zero Draft, taking into account the views and comments presented during the first three sessions of the OEIGWG and the need to advance the discussion on those entities’ obligations under international law.
Advancing international cooperation in the service of victims of human rights violations in the context of business activities
By Kinda Mohamadieh
A zero draft of a legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises, is the subject of discussions in an inter-governmental open ended working group under the auspices of the Human Rights Council (15-19 October 2018). The draft aims at harnessing international cooperation among home and host states of business enterprises in order to address barriers to get remedies to victims of human rights violations in the context of business activities of transnational character. This brief discusses the approach to States’ role and obligations as proposed under the zero draft.
The Use of TRIPS Flexibilities for the Access to Hepatitis C Treatment
By Dr. Germán Velásquez
In late 2013, a new Hepatitis C treatment called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) was introduced in the market at unaffordable prices. The eradication of the disease is possible if medicines can be purchased at AFFORDABLE prices within health budgets. IF THIS IS NOT THE CASE, governments should consider the use of the TRIPS flexibilities to facilitate access to the treatment.
A Human Rights Based Approach to International Financial Regulatory Standards
By Daniel D. Bradlow
Globalization and information and communication technologies pushed national financial regulators to establish international standard setting bodies (SSBs) which promote non-binding international financial regulatory standards. However, finance inevitably has social and human rights impacts and the SSBs and their members are not meeting their responsibility to account for these impacts in their international standards. This failure means that financial regulators and institutions may underestimate the risks associated with their operations leading to misallocations of credit, less safe financial institutions and less efficient and transparent financial markets. To avoid this problem, SSBs should adopt a human rights approach to standard setting. The benefits of doing so will exceed the costs. (more…)
Statement by the South Centre to the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit
At the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit , the South Centre highlighted Nelson Mandela’s battle against apartheid, which was a main obstacle to social development, and against actions by pharmaceutical companies to enforce intellectual property standards that would prevent access to HIV/AIDS drugs.
Statement by the South Centre to the Third High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases
Below is the statement by the South Centre to the Third High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) during the 73rd session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly held on 27 September 2018 at the UN headquarters in New York.
Statement by the South Centre at the High Level Meeting on the Fight to End Tuberculosis
Below is the South Centre statement at the High Level Meeting on the Fight to End Tuberculosis during the 73rd session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly held on 26 September 2018 at the UN headquarters in New York.
Considerations for the Effective Implementation of National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance
By Mirza Alas and Viviana Muñoz Tellez
Effective design and implementation of national action plans (NAPs) is critical for the response to the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This policy brief describes the messages that the South Centre has transmitted to the United Nations Inter-Agency Coordination Group (IACG) on AMR in the context of its public consultation, towards shaping its recommendations that will be submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General in the second half of 2019.
Title: Intellectual Property and Health: The Use of TRIPS Flexibilities to Achieve SDGs
Date and Time: 2 October 2018, 11:30-13:00
Venue: Room S1, The World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva
Organizer: The South Centre
New project to scale up access to medicines
The South Centre is pleased to announce that it is scaling up its services to developing country governments in the area of intellectual property rights and public health, thanks to the support of Unitaid. The project “Expanding the use of TRIPS flexibilities to promote affordable access to medicines” will allow the South Centre to roll out a number of training activities at regional and national level and a global advisory service on the use of TRIPS flexibilities for public health.
