Publication Type: Advocacy

Letter to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology re: Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Patent Act and the Food and Drugs Act

“I write to follow up on our previous submissions to the Standing Committee regarding Bill C-9, Canada’s laudable initiative to implement the WTO General Council Decision of August 30, 2003 to enable countries lacking sufficient pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity to ‘make effective use’ of compulsory licensing to obtain lower cost generic pharmaceutical products manufactured in Canada…”

Letter to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology re: Bill C-9 and the issue of NGO procurement of Canadian-made phramaceuticals

“As was requested by the Committee when we appeared before you on February 26, 2004, we have provided the Committee with our supplementary submissions regarding the alternatives to the ‘right of refusal’ that had been proposed to the Committee… “However, discussions at subsequent Committee meetings have indicated that Committee members are under a fundamental misapprehension … Read more

Global Access to Medicines: Will Canada Meet the Challenge? – Supplementary submission to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology regarding Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Patent Act and the Food and Drugs Act

The Standing Committee has asked that we provide our views regarding the “alternatives” to the right of refusal that have been put forward by other witnesses appearing before the Committee. We address several of the most important points that have been put before the Committee.

Global Access to Medicines: Will Canada Meet the Challenge? – A Submission to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology regarding Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Patent Act and the Food and Drugs Act

Bill C-9 is Canada’s legislation to implement the WTO General Council Decision of 30 August 2003. The bill, therefore, should fully reflect the flexibility that the WTO Decision creates for countries to use compulsory licensing to import cheaper, generic phramaceutical products.

Statement to the UN Commission on Human Rights re: HIV/AIDS, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Non-discrimination (Item 6)

This statement first examines the connection between non-discrimination and effective responses to HIV/AIDS, and then sets out existing language by UN Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures which confirms that the right of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people to be protected from discrimination is already established in international human rights law.