HL Deb 23 April 2002 vol 634 c21WA
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement was negotiated without reference to the World Health Organisation or to the Rio Convention on Bio-diversity; and whether the guidelines therein that multi-national companies adhere to are sufficient to safeguard the environment, values and traditions of member states and their populations. [HL3596]

Lord Sainsbury of Turville

The World Health Organisation has observer status on the TRIPs Council, which administers the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement and plays an active role in discussions on the application of the agreement to medicines. The declaration from the Doha ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation last November mandated the TRIPs council to explore the relationship between the TRIPs Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). We consider the two agreements to be compatible and they need to he implemented in a mutually supportive way. It is for the member states to ensure their national laws achieve this. Intellectual property rights as specified in the TRIPs Agreement can only be exercised subject to national laws safeguarding the environment, values and traditions of member states and their populations. They do not give their owners the freedom to ignore these laws.

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