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UN launches high-level panel on access to medicines

14th December 2015

The United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines is inviting contributions for consideration that address the policy incoherebce between international human rights law, trade rules and public health objectives regarding the innovation of and access to health technologies. In particular, the High-Level Panel will consider contributions that promote research, development, innovation and increase access to medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and related health technologies to improve the health and wellbeing for all, as envisaged by Sustainable Development Goal 3, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development more broadly.

The Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines was convened by Secretary-General in November 2015 to "review and assess proposals and recommend solutions for remedying the policy incoherence between the justifiable rights of inventors, international human rights law, trade rules and public health in the context of health technologies".

The work of the High-Level Panel is supported through an Expert Advisory Group comprising of a diverse array of experts and representatives from relevant United Nations and multilateral organisations and a Secretariat based at UNDP in collaboration with UNAIDS. Stakeholders, experts, organisations and institutions working in the area of access to health technologies are encouraged to submit contributions from 19 December to 18 February 2016. The full call for proposals can be accessed through www.unsgaccessmeds.org