Statement by the South Centre: WIPO ACE 18th Session
June 2026
At the 18th Session of WIPO’s Advisory Committee on Enforcement (ACE), South Centre called for intellectual property enforcement grounded in development, that is balanced, proportionate & consistent with TRIPS flexibilities. Not just counterfeiting: preventing the misappropriation of genetic resources & traditional knowledge belongs on the agenda too.
Promoting Trade in Services to Advance Global Development Cooperation
Presentation of Dr. Carlos M. Correa, South Centre Executive Director, at the Seminar “Promoting Trade in Services to Advance Global Development Cooperation” organized by the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations in Geneva, 28 May 2026
With world services exports surpassing 9.5 trillion USD in 2025, we are living through a boom of trade in services largely supported by the growing use of digital technologies. But many developing countries risk being left behind due to persistent gaps in digital infrastructure, skills, and regulatory frameworks.
Statement Delivered by the South Centre to the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79)
Agenda Item 12.5 Primary Healthcare
Agenda Item 12.8 Report of the Expert Advisory Group on the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel
Primary healthcare (PHC) is the backbone of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), health system resilience and the right to health. It is our first line of defense in emergencies and pandemics. Bold investment in PHC is overdue. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), the health workforce, integrated services and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) response cannot wait.
Statement Delivered by the South Centre to the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79)
Agenda Item 12.9, Draft Updated Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a silent pandemic and developing countries pay the highest price.
At the World Health Assembly, the South Centre called for bold action:
The South Centre continues to champion a fair and effective global AMR response.
What will it take to make AMR a true political priority?
27 TH SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL WORKING GROUP ON THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT (21 MAY 2026, PDN-TEMPUS)
Panel: Tax-related illicit financial flows and the right to development
South Centre Intervention
The South Centre’s spoke at the United Nations’ 27th Session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development on a panel discussion on tax-related illicit financial flows and the right to development.
Key points:
– The UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (UNFCITC) must include tax avoidance in the definition of tax-related illicit financial flows (TIFFs)
– UNFCITC must also include an effective monitoring mechanism so progress on reducing TIFFs can be measured
– Public Country by Country Reporting (pCBCR) of tax paid is a key component of the fight against TIFFs and the South Centre is taking various actions to promote pCBCR
– UNFCITC’s second protocol’s tools on dispute prevention like joint audits have huge potential to reduce TIFFs
– UNFCITC’s Conference of Parties will play a central role in ensuring effectiveness and must be well designed.
Statement by the South Centre on the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement
Geneva, 18 May 2026
The South Centre welcomes the one-year extension to finalise the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex.
Developing countries showed remarkable unity and put forward concrete proposals. Had these been the basis of work, negotiations could have concluded sooner. Now all Parties must rise to the moment and deliver an Annex that meaningfully advances equity in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
Statement by the South Centre to the Forty-eighth Session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR 48)
Geneva, 18 May 2026
Limitations and Exceptions (L&Es) must be the priority. The Broadcasting Treaty must not expand beyond its mandate. Copyright in the digital environment must serve Global South creators. Technological Protection Measures (TPMs) studies are premature without development safeguards. See our statement to the Forty-eighth Session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights.
Jointly build peace, stability, and development for a new win-win future
Intervention by Dr. Carlos Correa, Executive Director, South Centre at the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum, Cairo, Egypt, May 12-23, 2026
The need to jointly build peace, stability and development for a win-win future is both timeless and urgent. The recent military aggression against countries of the Global South represents a major setback for decades of diplomatic work towards a peaceful coexistence and respect for national sovereignty. See the intervention by Dr. Carlos Correa, Executive Director, South Centre under the theme ‘Jointly build peace, stability, and development for a new win-win future’, at the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum, Cairo, Egypt, May 12-23, 2026.
Statement by the South Centre to the Thirty-sixth Session of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP)
Geneva, 4 May 2026
The South Centre just delivered its statement to the 36th Session of WIPO’s Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP/36) in Geneva. The WIPO Development Agenda turns 20 next year, yet its transformative promise remains unfulfilled. A small number of Member States continue to block progress towards streamlining development in WIPO activities and operationalizing TRIPS flexibilities. Achieving SDGs should be an integral part of WIPO’s mandate legally grounded in the UN-WIPO Agreement.
Statement by the South Centre to the WIPO Assemblies on the Reappointment of the Director General, Daren Tang
21 April 2026
The South Centre looks forward to a further engagement of WIPO Director General Daren Tang during his second term with the development dimension of intellectual property.
In our statement to the WIPO Assemblies on 21 April, we highlight priorities that should be included in the new Medium-Term Strategic Plan. These include: prioritize development, technology transfer, fee reductions for developing countries and LDCs, and a broader focus on innovation, not only on the role of IP.
STATEMENT BY DR. CARLOS CORREA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTH CENTRE, TO THE MINISTERS AND GOVERNORS MEETING OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP OF TWENTY-FOUR (G-24)
14 April 2026, Washington, D.C.
See the South Centre’s statement to the G-24 below.
JOINT OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
ECOWAS-Led Simultaneous Tax Audit
Republic of Liberia & Republic of Sierra Leone
A Regional Tax Cooperation Initiative Under the ECOWAS Framework
The South Centre is supporting two of its Member States, Liberia and Sierra Leone, in implementing a pilot Simultaneous Tax Examination on Multinational Enterprises (MNEs), in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission. The pilot, which can generate potentially substantial tax revenues, will operationalize the ECOWAS Supplementary Act on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. The pioneering pilot, potentially the first of its kind in the Global South, will develop audit capacity, generate domestic revenue, and build a model that can be scaled across other Member States of the South Centre and ECOWAS.
Read more in the press release jointly issued with ECOWAS and the governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone (également disponible en français/também disponível em português):
