Call to remove IP clauses from trade pact
Ahead of the next round of Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP) trade talks, humanitarian aid organisation Médecins Sans
Frontières (MSF) has called for the removal of intellectual property provisions
— known as the TRIPS-plus provisions — from the agreement.
Why?
According to the MSF, the TRIPS-plus provisions like patent term
extensions and data exclusivity could hinder access to affordable drugs.
About Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership:
The RCEP is among the proposed three mega FTAs in the world so far
– the other two being the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership, led by the US) and
the TTIP (Trans -atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the US and
the EU).
- The agreement (FTA) is proposed between the ten member
states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei,
Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and the six states with which ASEAN has
existing FTAs (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New
Zealand).
- RCEP negotiations were formally launched in November
2012 at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.
- RCEP is viewed as an alternative to the TPP trade
agreement, which includes the United States but excludes China.
