European Parliament debate on transparency of ACTA documents
From the European Parliament is a call for more transparency of ACTA documents. This is a report from Sina Amoor Pour of Sweden, posted to the A2K listserve:
March 2009 news stories on the denial of access to ACTA documents under FOIA on national security grounds
The following are some of the stories on the denial of the ACTA FOIA request on national security grounds.
March 12, 2009
https://www.keionline.org/blogs/2009/03/12/acta-state-secret/
Obama Administration Rules Texts of New IPR Agreement are State Secrets
Huffington Post, James Love, March 12, 2009.
Who are the cleared advisors that have access to secret ACTA documents?
The negotiating text of ACTA and many other documents, including even the lists of participants in the negotiations, are secret. The White House claims the secrecy is required as a matter of national security. But that does not mean the documents are off limits to everyone outside of the government. Hundreds of advisors, many of them corporate lobbyists, are considered “cleared advisors.” They have access to the ACTA documents.
WHO issues mild statement on transit of medicines
The WHO has just issued a statement on the transit of medicines. It is short and mild. The statement does not mention goods in transit in the title. It does not mention at all that medicines have been seized. The best part of the statement is the following quote:
Ensuring that the interests of trade and health are appropriately managed, also means that the flow of legitimate medicines, including generic medicines, is not impeded.
The action part of the statement is weak, however:
NGO views: World Health Organization (WHO) voice on issue of medicines in transit to developing countries?
On 18 February 2009, 16 civil society groups sent a letter to Director-General Dr. Chan on the matter of the Dutch seizures of generic medicines in-transit to developing countries. In the letter, Dr. Continue Reading
White House says ACTA text a State Secret. EU parliament says time for more transparency
On January 31, 2009, KEI submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to USTR for copies of seven documents containing much of the negotiating text of the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Today the White House office the United States Trade Representative denied the request, claiming the documents are “information that is properly classified in the interest of national security pursuant to Executive Order 12958.”
PhRMA Special 301 submission on Thailand
The following discusses the 2009 PhRMA submission for the USTR Special 301 list on Thailand. Thailand is one of three Asian countries (China, Philippines and Thailand) that were singled out by PhRMA for the harshest treatment. The submission on Thailand covers several topics, including these:
PhRMA’s Aggressive Special 301 submission for the Philippines
One of the more aggressive PhRMA submissions to the USTR Special 301 list is the section on the Philippines. Excerpts, which are given below, illustrate the breath of PhRMA’s demands on the USTR. Continue Reading
India: Intervention at WTO TRIPS Council on public health dimension of the TRIPS Agreement
On 3 March 2009, India delivered the following intervention at the WTO Council for TRIPS meeting on the issue of the public health dimension of the TRIPS Agreement in the context of the Dutch seizures.
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INTERVENTION by INDIA
Agenda item ‘M’ – OTHER BUSINESS – Public Health dimension of TRIPS Agreement
Chair,
FT on Dutch Seizures of Generic Abacavir
In today’s Financial Times, Andrew Jack, Frances Williams and Michael Steen report on Dutch seizure of generic Abacavir in transit to Africa:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0a0a0a9e-0928-11de-b8b0-0000779fd2ac.html
Dozens of HIV patients have been placed at risk after the Dutch authorities seized consignments of Indian-made medicines shipped via Schipol airport for distribution to clinics in Nigeria, a multilateral agency yesterday said.