Analysis of Intellectual Property Issues Ahead of the WTO 14th Ministerial Conference
By Nirmalya Syam, Viviana Munoz Tellez
This policy brief analyses the issues pertaining to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) that were discussed in the General Council meeting on 16-17 December 2025. Despite the strategic importance of these issues, the divergence on TRIPS issues and on the priorities for the future work of WTO among Members did not allow the General Council to decide on any of these matters. None of the issues were noted for decision in the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), which is scheduled to be hosted in Yaoundé, Cameroon in March 2026. This reluctance of some Members to engage substantively on intellectual property (IP) issues has become a regular dynamic in the TRIPS Council. However, the MC14 should, at the least, decide to extend the moratorium on TRIPS Non-Violation and Situation Complaints and extend the period for acceptances by Members of the Protocol Amending the TRIPS Agreement. Moreover, there is an understanding that all issues remain on the table, regardless of whether they are taken up at the Conference.
Equity, Rule-of-Law, Coordination, Inclusiveness and Action
Intervention by Carlos Correa, South Centre Executive Director
Seminar on Global Governance
24 February 2026
‘Equity, Rule-of-Law, Coordination, Inclusiveness and Action’ are essential for the preservation and further improvement of the multilateral system, which is of vital importance for developing countries and the international community as a whole.
The South Centre Executive Director made three observations concerning the themes suggested for this panel.
Strengthening the role of International Geneva under recognized principles of global governance and international solidarity, can effectively support the development efforts in the Global South and it can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The South Centre expressed that it is always ready to cooperate in this endeavor.
Inputs to UN CSTD Working Group on Data Governance at All Levels
Track 3 – Considerations of Sharing the Benefits of Data
South Centre
February 2026
The South Centre submission to the United Nations Working Group on Data Governance highlights how economic and social benefits of data can accrue more equitably to the people and countries of the Global South.
Input for the Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas
Report on Peasant Territories on Land and Sea
South Centre
February 2026
The South Centre has officially submitted its inputs to the UN Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas for their upcoming thematic report on “Peasant Territorialities of Sea and Land.”
Our submission emphasises that realising the rights recognised in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants (UNDROP), particularly Article 17, depends on a fundamental shift in how “territory” is legally understood and economically managed.
The South Centre focuses on:
How territory must be conceptualised as a socio-ecological space where cultural identity and sustainable production intersect, not merely as a financial asset.
The dangers of “Blue Economy” industrialisation and “Green Grabbing,” where conservation mechanisms like carbon offsets displace local communities.
How States should recognise collective tenure rights and protect agrarian reform from Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) challenges.
Climate finance must support peasant agroecology, not displace the very people who steward the land.
Taxation of digital services – A Domestic Law Solution for Overcoming Tax Treaty Barriers
By Radhakishan Rawal
Tax treaty treatment of source taxation of cross-border services continues to be an unresolved issue even fifteen years after it was recognized as a major issue within the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project. While the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Inclusive Framework’s Amount A of Pillar One does not seem to be getting finalised, at the United Nations (UN) an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) is working on a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation which will offer a solution to the issue. The success of the UN’s initiative will depend on how many developed countries sign the Framework Convention and relevant Protocols.
This article evaluates a Domestic Law Solution to the issue which was presented at the February 2026 session of INC at New York. As per this solution, the domestic law of the source country can define the term “profits of an enterprise” to exclude consideration for digital services and thus bypass treaty restrictions on source taxation. As a result of this, the source country will be able to levy tax on such income in terms of Article 21(3) of the tax treaties signed by it provided the wording of Article 21(3) is identical to that in the UN Model Tax Convention.
AI and the Global South: Impacts, Opportunities, and Policy Approaches
By Danish
Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to transform economies and societies worldwide, with significant implications for people and the planet. For developing nations, AI will bring both transformative benefits and risks, requiring a proactive approach to its regulation that builds safeguards while promoting innovation. This paper therefore provides an assessment of the potential multidimensional impacts of AI on the people and countries of the global South, particularly on their digital transformation, labour and industrial development.
The paper further emphasises the need for developing nations to consider flexible policy frameworks for AI governance, tailored to their own unique needs, priorities, and capacities. Emphasising the importance of multistakeholder engagement, such as through opportunities provided by the India-AI Impact Summit, the paper underscores the need for effective international cooperation to build safe, trustworthy AI that promotes sustainable development.
Digital Public Infrastructure for Democratic Data Monetization
By Rajesh Kumar & Meghna Dhariwal
Data monetization has long been discussed through narrow and fragmented lenses, often overlooking models that prioritize public value and shared benefit. While data is increasingly recognised as a strategic economic asset, conversations around its monetization have largely excluded approaches that empower individuals and communities alongside businesses. This paper proposes a more inclusive and development-centric model of data monetization enabled through Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), referred to as DPI for Democratic Data Monetization (DPI-DDM). First, we define data monetization, explore its importance in today’s digital economy, and trace its evolution, highlighting past approaches and their limitations. Second, we introduce the concept of DPI and articulate why it serves as an optimal foundation for equitable and democratic data monetization. We also outline the key drivers and precedents that have led to the emergence of DPI-DDM. Third, we present a comprehensive framework for DPI-DDM, detailing its foundational layers, potential revenue streams, and the multifaceted benefits it offers to individuals, institutions, and society at large. Fourth, we examine the key challenges in the rollout and implementation of DPI-DDM, including issues related to governance, capacity, and trust. We conclude with actionable insights and a forward-looking roadmap to operationalise DPI-DDM as a vehicle for data equity, economic opportunity, and digital democracy.
An Analytical Note on the Director-General’s Revised Road to Yaoundé MC14 Working Draft (JOB/TNC/127/Rev.2/Add.1/Rev.1), 11 February 2026
By Vahini Naidu
This note examines the Revised Road to Yaoundé for the Fourteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) and the implications of its programme, sequencing, and institutional management. It situates the revised agenda within current dynamics in Geneva and assesses how process choices shape ministerial engagement, priority-setting, and the handling of long-standing development mandates. Drawing on lessons from earlier Ministerial Conferences, the note highlights the risks that compressed formats, limited transparency, and facilitator-driven structures pose for collective ownership and trust. It argues that the credibility of MC14 will depend on whether Members perceive the process as inclusive and balanced, and whether the Ministerial provides a clear and legitimate pathway for shaping the WTO’s future direction. The note also includes recommendations.
WTO Reform: Mapping Submissions and the Facilitator’s Draft Work Plan
An Analytical Note on Member Positions Across the Facilitator’s Reform Tracks, 8 February 2026
By Vahini Naidu
This paper maps seven WTO submissions and examines them in light of outputs emerging from the WTO reform process, including the Reform Facilitator’s Draft Ministerial Decision and Flexible Post-MC14 Work Plan. Using comparative tables, it reviews Member positions across core reform elements, including overall reform vision, scope and sequencing; decision-making, consensus and governance; plurilaterals and Annex 4; development and Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT); agriculture, industrial policy and level-playing-field issues; dispute settlement; and Secretariat and institutional questions. The paper also distils key observations on the Reform Facilitator’s Draft Ministerial Statement and Work Plan, examining how their structure and thematic emphasis align with different Member positions. It notes the relative prominence of EU and US framings across several reform tracks, alongside areas where longstanding developing country concerns, including agriculture, consensus-based decision-making, and treaty-based S&DT, are less explicitly reflected.
WTO Reform: Institutional Authority and the Boundaries of the Facilitator-led Process
AnAnalytical Note on the WTO Reform Facilitator-led Process and Work Plan, 8 February 2026
By Vahini Naidu
This analytical note examines the WTO reform process reflected in the Draft Ministerial Statement and the proposed Post MC14 Work Plan dated 3 February 2026. It assesses whether the current process provides a sound basis for transmitting any reform outcome to Ministers at MC14. The note identifies procedural, institutional, and substantive concerns arising from the increasing reliance on facilitation led, non-consensual materials, limited anchoring in prior Ministerial mandates, and drafting choices that risk normalising a particular framing of reform in the absence of Member convergence. It highlights sequencing problems, the narrowing of the development agenda through its conflation with special and differential treatment, the premature elevation of plurilateral integration, and the marginal treatment of dispute settlement. These concerns suggest that the proposed Work Plan risks constraining Member-driven deliberation and weakening institutional balance. The note concludes that the Work Plan should not be treated as a basis for any reform outcome to be transmitted to Ministers at this stage.
South Centre Statement to IGWG5 on the WHO Pandemic Agreement
9 February 2026
The World Health Organization (WHO) Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) is reconvening to negotiate a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) System to make operational Article 12 of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, concluded in May 2025 but requiring conclusion of the PABS to move towards ratifications. The Fifth Meeting of the IGWG (IGWG5) will meet from 9-14 February 2026, and the negotiations are meant to conclude by May 2026.
The South Centre has made a statement to the IGWG5 highlighting the imbalance in the current Bureau text. The statement of the South Centre is reproduced below.
Unlocking Innovation Traps: A Systems Thinking Approach to University–SME Collaboration
By Dr. Ufuk Türen and Syed Ibrahim Bilal Majid
Despite growing institutional interest, university–small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) collaborations often underperform, stalling before generating sustainable innovation. This study adopts a systems thinking perspective to diagnose such persistent failures as structural—rather than individual—challenges. Using OSTİM Technical University (OSTİMTECH) as a case study, the research employs participatory causal loop diagrams (CLDs) to visualize key feedback dynamics affecting trust, incentives, and knowledge flows. Central to the analysis is the “Success to the Successful” archetype, which explains how dominant academic incentives reinforce publication-oriented behaviors while marginalizing collaboration and applied innovation. The resulting model reveals why certain loops—like academic reputation—gain momentum while others—such as ecosystem learning—remain underdeveloped without intentional redesign. By identifying leverage points for institutional reform, including incentive recalibration and long-term partnership support, the paper offers actionable insights for third-generation universities. Ultimately, reframing collaboration through a systemic lens enhances understanding of complex innovation ecosystems and guides more credible, sustainable approaches to university–industry engagement.
