In Focus

Policy Brief 132, 8 November 2024

Towards a Balanced WIPO Design Law Treaty (DLT) for Developing Countries

By Nirmalya Syam

The WIPO Design Law Treaty (DLT) aims to harmonize and simplify global industrial design registration procedures, encourage digital applications and reduce costs. While the reforms required by the DLT could boost efficiency, they will mainly benefit enterprises from developed countries with resources to secure global design rights. This policy brief highlights the key concerns for developing countries, particularly the treaty’s potential impacts on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and indigenous communities. It advocates for critical adjustments in the DLT negotiation texts to allow for policy space in the DLT – binding technical assistance, flexible grace periods, enabling disclosure of the origin and source of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions used in designs that are sought to be registered, and optional divisional and electronic filing provisions.

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South Centre Report, October 2024

Group of 77 and South Centre convening on the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance Response in Developing Countries

Meeting Report

October 2024

On 25 September, the South Centre with the Group of 77 and China discussed solutions for tackling Antimicrobial Resistance and ensuring access to antibiotics and diagnostics.

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SC Statement at the 2024 Social Forum of the Human Rights Council, 31 October 2024

Statement by the South Centre at the 2024 Social Forum of the Human Rights Council

31 October 2024

At the Human Rights Council Social Forum, South Centre Senior Programme Officer Abdul Muheet Chowdhary presented key international tax reform inputs to the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) for “The Contribution Of Financing For Development To The Advancement Of All Human Rights For All”.

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SouthViews No. 276, 29 October 2024

Can international law promote innovation from genetic resources and benefit sharing while recognizing the rights of traditional knowledge holders?

By Henry de Novion

Indigenous peoples and local communities have been innovating for millennia and contributing to the development of new products and processes. For international law to promote innovation, it is indispensable to promote indigenous peoples and local communities’ rights to prior informed consent, to benefit sharing, and to guaranteeing their territories, culture, and existence.

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SC Statement at FOGGS event, 24 October 2024

A RAFT FOR THE FUTURE: Can the Pact for the Future Deliver the Multilateral Titanic?

South Centre Statement

24 October 2024

The South Centre participated in the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS) event evaluating the Pact For The Future. The Pact is a crucial step but needs a concrete roadmap with clear actions & timelines to find solutions central to developing countries.

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South Centre Statement to G-24, 21 October 2024

STATEMENT BY DR. CARLOS CORREA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTH CENTRE, TO THE MINISTERS AND GOVERNORS MEETING OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP OF TWENTY-FOUR (G-24)

21 October 2024, Washington D.C.

The South Centre participated in the G-24 Annual Meeting of Ministers and Governors in Washington D.C. See our statement:

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SouthViews No. 275, 4 October 2024

A Fair Solution for Access and Sharing of Benefits of Digital Sequence Information? Decision for the CBD COP in November 2024

By Viviana Munoz Tellez

A decision is expected from the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by 1 November 2024 on a solution to the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources. There are different forms of non-monetary and monetary benefits from the use of DSI that are being considered. This paper argues that for monetary benefit sharing, the focus should be on when DSI is used commercially, as part of products or services. Calculations should be based on revenue that includes sales and intellectual property licencing.

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Research Paper 210, 30 September 2024

Decision 15/9 and the Nagoya Protocol: Who should get what in the Multilateral Benefit-Sharing Mechanism?

By Joseph Henry Vogel, Natasha C. Jiménez-Revelles, Xavier A. Maldonado-Ramírez de Arellano

Article 10 of the Nagoya Protocol (NP), “Global Multilateral Benefit-Sharing Mechanism” (GMBSM), asks Parties to consider the distribution of benefits derived from the utilization of genetic resources in transboundary situations. A literature exists which applies the economics of information to genetic resources, when interpreted as “natural information”.  The policy implication would incentivize reduction in the drivers of mass extinction, through economic rents in royalty obligations. Fifteen cases become thought experiments on how to share royalty income. A sixteenth case addresses the TP53 gene in elephants, which may revolutionize oncology. In parallel to Article 10 of the NP is Decision 15/9 of the fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. That Decision establishes a “multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources”. Redundancy with the GMBSM is only apparent.  The Decision omits rents and thus renders its mechanism inefficient, unfair and inequitable.

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SC Statement to the High-Level Meeting on AMR, September 2024

Statement of the South Centre to the High-Level Meeting on AMR

September 2024

The South Centre is committed to support developing countries in tackling antimicrobial resistance. We welcome the opportunity to speak to this Assembly and add our voice to the call for urgent action to tackle this global threat. This year must mark the turning point in the collective efforts backed by new commitments and targets.

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Research Paper 209, 25 September 2024

AMR in Aquaculture: Enhancing Indian Shrimp Exports through Sustainable Practices and Reduced Antimicrobial Usage  

By Robin Paul

This study on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Indian shrimp farming underscores its critical impact on public health, environmental sustainability, and economic viability. The global scenario with many export rejections on account of persistent residues of antibiotics, reiterate that antimicrobial use in aquaculture, demands urgent global attention.

In the Indian context, the shrimp industry grapples with a delicate balance between production demands and long-term shrimp health. Sustainable practices, including responsible antimicrobial use, are crucial for economic viability, given the industry’s reliance on specific markets like the United States, EU and China.

Sustainable aquaculture emerges as a pivotal solution, supported by government policies and a gradual industry shift towards best practices. However, challenges persist, requiring a comprehensive approach to balance economic interests with environmental conservation. The key challenges remain the large number of small stakeholders and huge geographical spread of farms which make implementation of regulations and sharing of best practices difficult. Traceability and certification programs can play a key role in promoting responsible aquaculture, ensuring transparency and accountability in the supply chain. Technological innovations, including block chain can offer efficient solutions for traceability.

The collaborative action suggested emphasizes the role of government bodies, regulatory agencies, industry players, researchers, and consumers in addressing AMR. Clearer implementable regulatory frameworks aligned with economic and environmental priorities are essential. Looking ahead, the study envisions a future where the blue economy is sustainable not just for the industry’s success but also to protect the wider environment. By enhancing domestic market presence and fostering collaboration with importing countries, the Indian industry can overcome the multiple challenges raised by AMR in shrimp aquaculture.

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