Registration has opened for the 5th WHO-WIPO-WTO Trilateral Cooperation Technical Webinar, scheduled to take place on June 20, 2024. The event will run from 1:30 pm to 3:15 pm (Geneva time) and will be hosted virtually by WIPO in English. Interested participants can register online until June 19 at noon (Geneva time).
The webinar aims to discuss the interplay between intellectual property, competition laws and policies, and regulatory frameworks. It seeks to explore how various policy options and institutional actors can support sustained innovative activity and competitiveness in the pharmaceutical sector. The discussion will also focus on the role of international organizations such as WHO, WTO, and WIPO, as well as national regulatory authorities and interinstitutional coordination.
Efforts by stakeholders including governments, industry, academia, and philanthropies have led to significant investments in research and development of health technologies. Central to these efforts is balancing competition to drive innovation with protecting intellectual property rights. This balance aligns with the objectives of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), encouraging investment while promoting technology transfer conducive to social and economic welfare.
Competition is a key driver of health innovation, pushing companies to advance scientific boundaries. Rivalry among pharmaceutical firms spurs R&D investment leading to novel treatments and continuous improvement in health technologies. Effective competition also offers freedom of choice, lower prices, good value for money, and productivity improvements.
Governments use competition law and policy alongside effective regulatory health systems, balanced IP frameworks, and international trade rules to address public health concerns. These tools promote equitable access to affordable health technologies and foster innovation.
In recent years, analyses by entities such as UNCTAD, UNDP, the EU, ASEAN, and OECD have examined the interface between IP and competition law. These studies also look at how different policies in the pharmaceutical sector can better serve consumers through an efficient healthcare system.
Some competition agencies have explored pro-competitive measures that regulation can adopt to improve market conditions. For instance, Chile's Competition Agency issued a market study on its national pharmaceutical market in 2020. Similarly, South Africa’s Competition Commission has used competition law enforcement to facilitate access to health technologies.
The Secretariats of WHO, WIPO, and WTO organize capacity-building activities like this webinar to enhance information flow related to innovation and access to health technologies. These events aim to strengthen policymakers' capacity by providing expertise, data, evidence, and facilitating discussions on critical issues intersecting public health, IP rights, and trade.
Online registration for this virtual event is available until June 19 at noon (Geneva time).