Sponsors: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP); Centre on Knowledge Governance, Geneva Graduate Institute; Texas A&M University School of Law
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant inequalities between and within countries in providing access to healthcare, including access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable essential medical products. Existing weaknesses and deficiencies in health systems within countries, in terms of financing, human resources and technologies, were also accentuated through the pandemic. The experiences across countries highlighted the need to diversify production capacity for essential medical products and to facilitate their access, including through securing essential technologies for manufacturing and utilizing appropriate policy mechanisms.
This event will feature a presentation of research on intellectual property and technology transfer policies for access to medicines, diagnostics and vaccines commissioned by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), followed by a roundtable of responses by invited experts in the field. The discussion will focus on engaging with appropriate legal tools that can address and/or alleviate the barriers to achieving health equity objectives at a regional level. Issues including improving innovation and transfer of technology, and creating appropriate legal policy tools and other enablers to achieving healthcare related goals will form the crux of the discussion.
Key discussion areas: Intellectual property; International Treaties; Regional legal policy initiatives; Public health governance; Growing role of regional engagement on emerging issues such as innovation technology and the role of international economic law at the regional level.
In-person attendance will be limited to invited experts. The event will include a public webcast open to all registered participants. Registered guests holding a valid invite code may register to attend in person.
Draft Paper: Regional Approach to Health Equity: A Policy Proposal, Srividhya Ragavan
Tentative Schedule
| 11:00 – 11:10 | Introductory remarks Sean Flynn, Director, Centre on Knowledge Governance, Geneva Graduate Institute Rupa Chanda, Director, Trade, Investment and Innovation Division, ESCAP |
| 11:10 – 12:00 | Part 1: Research presentations Srividhya Ragavan, Professor of Law, Texas A&M University Anthony So, Distinguished Professor of the Practice (Emeritus), Johns Hopkins University (Recorded) |
| 12:00 – 12:55 | Part 2: Roundtable Comments and Discussion with Experts Moderator: Sean Flynn, Director, Geneva Graduate Institute Jamie Love, KEI · Susan Isiko Štrba, CKG · Kaitlin Mara, CKG · Nirmalya Syam, South Centre · Erica Duenas, WHO · K.M Gopakumar, TWN · George Thomas, Indian Mission to the WTO · Natalie Linou, UNDP · Suerie Moon, IHEID · Yern Fai Lee, UNESCAP (online) · Daniel Hofilena, Attorney at Law, Philippines (online) · Rohit Malpani (online, invited) · Brigitte Tenni, University of Melbourne (online) |
| 12:55 – 13:00 | Closing (Lunch will be served at 13:00 – 14:00) |
