Document Type
Article
Disciplines
International Law
Abstract
From November 9 to 14, 2001, the World Trade Organization ("WTO") met at the Persian Gulf capital of Qatar. The core objective of the Ministerial Conference ("the Conference") was to start a new round of economic negotiations aimed at increasing world trade flows. In previous years, only specialized international trade negotiators attended the Conference. However, this year, the Brazilian Health Minister also attended the Conference. His presence at the Conference marked the first time that a health minister from a developing country had attended.
The Brazilian government has consistently supported the idea that public health should not be subordinate to abuses of economic power. At the Geneva meeting of the World Health Organization ("WHO"), at the Special U.N. General Assembly session on AIDS held in New York in June 2000, and in bilateral meetings with other developed and developing nations, the Brazilian government has argued that democratic governments must ensure access to needed medicines. Additionally, it has pointed out the importance of protecting consumers from price abuses resulting from lack of competition. Finally, it has argued that in cases of public interest and national emergencies, pharmaceutical patents should not be allowed to cripple government efforts to protect public health.
Recommended Citation
Viana, Jose Marcos Nogueira, "Intellectual Property Rights, the World Trade Organization and Public Health: The Brazilian Perspective" (2002). Connecticut Journal of International Law. 372.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/cjil/372
Accessibility Requirements
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