| From: |
Manuella Donato [ profile ] |
| Subject: |
Fwd: Global Day of Action: EU-India FTA 2 MARCH 2011
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| Sent: |
Feb 17th, 2011 - 09:10:46 |
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nikhil Gurung
Date: 2011/2/17
Subject: Global Day of Action: EU-India FTA 2 MARCH 2011
To: youth-rise-iwgs (at) googlegroups.com,
youthconsultation (at) worldaidscampaign.org
FYI.
*Apologies for cross posting.*
**
Please see below for the details.
Best
Nikhil
**
*Global Day of Action: EU-India FTA 2 MARCH 2011*
Dear All,
On 2 March 2011, representatives of PLHIV Networks, Network of People who
Use Drugs and health activists from across India are holding a protest
against the India-EU Free Trade Agreement at New Delhi. Patient groups and
civil society representatives from other countries, including Nepal,
Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines are also coming to India to seek
meetings with Indian government to express their concerns. The rally starts
at Ramlila Ground at 10 am and reaches at Jantar Mantar and is being held by
health groups to voice their concerns against this FTA.
The protest is directed against the stronger Intellectual Property
provisions being demanded by the European Commission in the India-EU Free
Trade Agreement, which may hamper access to cheap, life-saving, quality
medicines for patients not just in India but many other developing countries
around the world.
The groups are demanding that the following provisions be removed from the
negotiations:
1. DATA EXCLUSIVITY, as it will not permit the placing of affordable
versions of new formulations like pediatric doses of off-patent medicines
on the market by the Indian Drug Controller.
2. INVESTMENT RULES, as it will enable foreign companies to take Indian
government to private courts over domestic health policies like tobacco
warnings and measures to reduce prices of medicines
3. BORDER MEASURES, as it will deny medicines to patients in other
developing countries with custom officials seizing generic medicines in
transit.
4. INJUNCTIONS, as it undermines the independence of the Indian judiciary
to protect right to health of patients over pharma profits.
5. OTHER IP ENFORCEMENT MEASURES, as it puts third parties like treatment
providers at risk of police actions and court cases.
The next round of negotiations between India and European Commission will
take place end of this month in Brussels. The EU-India FTA negotiations are
set to be concluded by spring 2011.
Press Conference
The protest will be followed by a Press Conference at Foreign Correspondent
Club from 2pm onwards.
Mr. Anand Grover, UN Special Rapporteur on Health will address the media and
share his concerns about the grave danger this FTA may bring to the
countless human lives in developing countries by drying up the source of
good and affordable medicines. The other panelists will include
representatives from International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, Oxfam
India, Asia Pacific Network of Positive People and Indian Network of
Positive People.
In solidarity, the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, Asia
Pacific Network of Positive People, Asian Network of People who Use Drugs
(ANPUD), World Vision, Lawyer's collective, Oxfam India and Médecins Sans
Frontières Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines are calling for a
global day of action against the EU-India FTA on 2 March 2011..
How you can join:
1. Organise your own rally: You can organize rallies or demonstrations in
front of European Commission offices in your countries to voice your
opposition to their aggressive negotiations on intellectual property in
FTAs. Dont forget that the EU is also negotiating FTAs with many developing
countries and making the same demands.
2. Take Action: You and your organization can also support our rally
actively. The more organizations speak out for our cause, the louder our
message will be heard. Send your logo, your statement, banner, posters etc.
to us and we will make sure, that your organization will be part of the
protest.
3. Donate: In order to organize this protest, we rely on funding. Any
financial support is welcome. If you know organizations, which are
interested in funding, if you want donate to our protest, please contact us.
4. Raise awareness: Even though you might not be able to support our
rally financially or physically you can help us by spreading the word about
our concerns.
5. Write to the Indian Government: You can also write to the Indian
Government asking it to stay strong and not give in to the demands of the
European Commission. India, as the pharmacy of the developing world, has an
obligation to its citizens as well as patients across the world.
We plan to meet the aggressiveness of the European Commission with our
peaceful rally. There is too much at stake. Join us NOW!
In Solidarity
Loon Gangte
Secretary
Delhi Network of Positive People
To know more about the debate going on around the India-EU FTA, please read
the following articles:
Dont Swallow this Pill, Times of India, Jan 19 2011
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Dont-swallow-this-pill/articleshow/7312903.cms
Indian Prime Minister Must Resist European Pressure To Trade Away Health,
Medical News Today, Jan 13 2011
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/213584.php
Dont Swallow this Pill, Indian Express, Jan 27 2011
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dont-swallow-this-pill/742546/
--
Manuella Donato
Regional Focal Point - Latin America
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS
Gonçalves Maia, 1000/103. Recife, PE. Brazil
+55 81 99244408 | manuella (at) gyca.org
www.gyca.org | www.tigweb.org
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