The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are jointly organizing a symposium at technical level on Access to Medicines: Pricing and Procurement Practices on July 16, 2010 at the Center William Rappard at the WTO in Geneva.

According to the WTO official website, the purpose of the symposium is to learn what international and regional agencies have experienced in the pricing and procurement of medicines as important determinants of access. It will also provide an opportunity to discuss where to obtain information on access to medicines, their prices and their availability. The core questions are about drug procurement, pricing and relevant intellectual property issues. The discussions will be technical, serving as a forum for participants to share information, views and practical experiences.

This event should lay the groundwork for continuing dialogue among the collaborating organizations.

The symposium will be opened by the Directors-General of WHO, WIPO and WTO followed by an overview of the international legal and policy framework. This includes a review of information sources on the prices and procurement of medicines. International and regional agencies will be invited to share their experience in the field. Finally, participants will be invited to discuss a range of issues, including the need for continued collaboration between WHO, WIPO and WTO.

This symposium forms part of the on-going trilateral cooperation between the WHO, WIPO and WTO, which includes the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property.

Participants are expected to be Geneva-based delegations to the WHO, WIPO and WTO, representatives of international and philanthropic initiatives on the procurement of medicines, civil society organizations, and industry representatives.

Please note that the event will be held in English only; no interpretation will be available. Participation in the symposium is open to all interested individuals and organizations, subject to availability of space.