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KAMAL NATH AND CELSO AMORIM DISCUSSES WAYS FOR REACTIVATING MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS OF DOHA ROUND
Date : 30 Jan 2009
Location : WEF-DAVOS: 2009 Switzerland
Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Mr. Celso Amorim, Brazilian Minister for External Relations, met on the margins of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, held in Davos today. Both the Ministers exchanged views on the current international economic situation, with an eye to, inter-alia, identifying possible ways for reactivating the multilateral trade negotiations of the Doha Round.
The Ministers took the opportunity to discuss the recent seizure by authorities of the Netherlands of generic medicines produced in India and imported by Brazil, while the shipment was in transit in Dutch territory. Ministers Amorim and Nath were both deeply concerned with the decision to seize material of strategic importance to public health, traded between developing countries in full conformity with international disciplines. This decision is also a serious setback for the principle of universal access to medicines, running against the spirit of resolution 2002/31 of the Commission on Human Rights on the right to enjoy the highest standards of physical and mental health. The Ministers also shared the conviction that measures of this nature have a highly negative systemic impact on legitimate trade of generic medicines, South-South commerce, and national public health policies.
Both the Ministers agreed to denounce the seizure of the generic medicines by the Dutch authorities in the next meeting of the WTO General Council, scheduled for 3 February. The Ministers also agreed that both the countries will act in close coordination, not only in the WTO but also in other relevant fora.
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