South Centre

Pharmaceutical products and processes account for a significant part of patents applied for and granted worldwide. As patents confer exclusive rights and lead to increased prices for such products, they are of particular concern in developing countries.This book is intended to provide policy makers with information and guidance about some important aspects relating to the patenting of pharmaceutical inventions.

South Centre Research Paper 17 - July 2008

The experience of developing countries, individually and collectively, during the more recent period of globalization has only confirmed that developing countries need to be consistent and united in promoting their views and interests, and that to succeed it is also essential for them to join forces and pursue group action in most domains on the development agenda. With a number of developing countries having made important progress and strides in development and economic growth, the collective weight of the South should be used for launching major policy initiatives, as well as to counter the systemic economic and political imbalances that favor the developed countries.

Yash Tandon, Executive Director, South Centre

Fahamu Books & South Centre

ISBN 978-1-906387-29-7, 160 Pages, Large Crown 

This book will be first launched at a side event "Beyond Aid Dependence" to the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra on 1st September 2008, 16:00-18.00 at the CSO Parallel Forum on Aid Effectiveness. Click here for more details. 

This will be followed by launch in other countries.

This Issue of the South Bulletin focuses on the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness taking place on 2-4 September in Accra, Ghana. The Editorial by H.E. Benjamin W. Mkapa, Chairman of the South Centre is on  "Beyond the Paris Declaration" while the Op-Ed piece by Dr. Yash Tandon, Executive Director of the South Centre is on "Ending Aid Dependence: Conceptual Traps of an Outdated Aid Vocabulary".

Analysis and commentaries appearing in the Bulletin, include those on Behind the July Failure of the Doha Round; The Cost of Doing Nothing on Climate Change; EPA for whose benefit?; and on The Destruction of African Agriculture. In addition, this issue includes a review of the book “Ending Aid Dependence” recently published book by the South Centre which will be launched at the Accra High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.

The Editorial by Dr. Yash Tandon, Executive Director of the South Centre is on "Role of Civil Society in Reclaiming National Space" while the Op-Ed piece is on "Returned to Sender: TRIPS-Plus IP Enforcement Attempts by World Customs Organisation through Universal Postal Congress” by Dr. Xuan LI, South Centre. Geneva.

Analysis and commentaries appearing in the Bulletin, include those on High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness: Some Issues of Concern; Aid and National Development: Where is the African Strategy?; Measuring Innovation: Conceptual Underpinnings of the WIPO Patent Report 2008; Boom, Bane or Bluster: Regional Blocs in Question; and Effective Coordination Works.

The focus piece in this edition explores the dangers that a new treaty on anti-counterfeiting may pose for access to medicines. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is being negotiated by G8 members behind closed doors.

Section II summarizes the major developments in the second quarter of 2008 on IP related issues at the WTO, WIPO, CBD, WCO, UPU and regional and bilateral free trade agreements.