Jamie Leach
The Doha Declaration
The Doha Declaration appears to confirms the superiority of public health over trade related aspects of intellectual property rights (T.R.I.P’s), and should have some interpretative value in future world trade organisation (W.T.O) dispute settlement procedures.
The declaration on the T.R.I.P’s agreement and public health adopted by the W.T.O ministerial conference in November 2001, which confirms that the T.R.I.P’s agreement should be interpreted and implemented so as to protect the public and promote access to medicines for all, marked a divide in international trade demonstrating that a rule based trading system should be compatible with public health interests. The declaration enshrines the principle W.H.O (World Health Organisation) has publicly advocated and advanced over the last four years, namely the reaffirmation of the right of W.T.O members to make full use of the safeguard provisions of the T.R.I.P’s agreement to protect public health and enhance access to medicines.
