Analyses the special and differential treatment provisions in the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs) Agreement, assesses their implementation in support of development, and makes 10 recommendations for change.

These questions arise as differential and more favourable treatment of developing countries has been a fundamental principle of the General Agreement on Tarrifs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

This is TRIPs Issues Paper number 2, published by QUNO, Geneva and the Quaker International Affairs Programme (QIAP), Ottawa

Occasional Paper 11- Non-Violation Nullification or Impairment Causes of Action under the TRIPS Agreement and the Fifth Ministerial Conference: A Warning and Reminder

Provides an overview, based on intellectual property rights negotiations in the Americas, of some of the implications of regional and bilateral Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs) plus agreements for the current minimum standards under TRIPs. It discusses the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) in relation to TRIPs, and argues that the push towards ever-stronger IPRs threatens to undermine the balance achieved in many national laws and the capacity of developing countries to use flexibilities existing at the international level to achieve developmental and public policy goals.

This is TRIPs Issues Paper number 1, published by QUNO, Geneva and the Quaker International Affairs Programme (QIAP), Ottawa.

In these issues papers, individual authors are invited to examine a subject of importance in the developing international intellectual property regime and highlight the key issues they see arising. The topics have been chosen following consultations with negotiators from developing countries and respond to their concerns. Our aim is to contribute to a greater understanding of the impact of changes in this area upon people’s lives and better inform debate and negotiations.

Published jointly with Terre des hommes Germany, this research concerns the experiences and circumstances of former child soldiers seeking asylum in Germany. It focuses on some of the problems these extremely vulnerable young persons face, and attempts to assess their needs. The study highlights challenges imposed by the asylum process, providing insights and recommendations that will be useful in other national contexts. The English edition, unlike the original German version, does not include detailed discussion on German asylum law and process, as it is intended for a broader audience.

Occasional Paper 10 - Negotiating intellectual property: Mandates and options in the Doha Work Programme 

This document deals with an aspect of the problem of child participation in armed conflict that is little explored and not well understood - how child participants in armed conflict, internal violence and other militarized situations are/should be treated by the justice system and by counter-terrorism legislation.

In these issues papers, individual authors are invited to examine a subject of importance in the developing international intellectual property regime and highlight the key issues they see arising. The topics have been chosen following consultations with negotiators from developing countries and respond to their concerns. Our aim is to contribute to a greater understanding of the impact of changes in this area upon people’s lives and better inform debate and negotiations.

Occasional Paper 9 - Compulsory Licensing for Public Health Needs: The TRIPS Agenda at the WTO after the Doha Declaration on Public Health