On Tuesday, 22 September 2026, the World Health Organization and Knowledge Ecology International will convene a side event on Intellectual Property and Traditional Medicine: Rethinking Access, Benefit Sharing and Data Governance at Room B of the World Intelllectual Property Organization from 13:30 to 15:00. A light lunch will be served from 13:00 outside Room B. To participate online, please register here.
The speakers include: Professor Margo Bagley (Emory University School of Law), Professor Peter Harrison (York Law School, University of York), Dr. Shyama Kuruvilla (WHO), , Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota (Brazil), and James Love (KEI). This side event will be moderated by Dr. Suerie Moon (Global Health Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute).
Recent developments in the international intellectual property landscape—including the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, ongoing IGC negotiations, and broader discussions on access and benefit sharing and digital governance—highlight the need to examine their implications for traditional medicine. As traditional medicine knowledge becomes increasingly digitized and utilized through research, artificial intelligence and innovation ecosystems, new policy questions arise regarding equitable benefit sharing, governance of traditional medicine data, and the recognition of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as rights holders in the stewardship and governance of their knowledge systems. This side event aims to facilitate dialogue on these emerging issues and identify considerations for future international cooperation.