The recent workshop held over three days aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences and insights among international experts, focusing on designing policies that support innovation and access to health technologies. This was achieved through discussions on health, trade, and intellectual property (IP) frameworks.
Organized with the collaboration of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and supported by the Thai International Trade and Public Health Programme, the event brought together participants from various sectors. These included private and public sectors, researchers, and senior officials who shared their experiences in implementing policies for equitable access to health technologies.
Key topics addressed during the workshop included IP licensing, technology transfer for sustainable manufacturing capacities, flexibilities in the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and addressing global health challenges like climate change using health, trade, and IP tools.
Participants engaged in exchanging regional experiences through presentations, group discussions, a case study simulation of inter-agency cooperation. Discussions emphasized coordinated action to promote access to medicines due to complex challenges at the intersection of health and trade.
In a closing round table discussion, participants highlighted the necessity for collaboration among government authorities with clear political will to support implementation efforts. Building capacity at both senior and technical levels was deemed essential for managing trade-health interactions. The event provided an opportunity to establish a regional network integrating health, trade, and IP policies.
The WTO Secretariat continues offering capacity-building activities tailored to specific regions. More information about these face-to-face activities is available online.
The WHO-WIPO-WTO Trilateral Technical Assistance Platform serves as a resource hub offering expertise from WHO, WIPO, and WTO. It aims to assist members in addressing challenges at the intersection of public health, intellectual property rights (IPR), and trade policy dimensions systematically.