Ministry of Commerce and Industry organised a symposium that emphasises the need for innovative policy solutions, collaboration between governments, pharmaceutical companies, and foreign organisations.

The International Symposium on Health Governance in a Political Landscape: Interplay of Health Law, Society and Political Economy explores themes covering health governance, IPR, access to medicine and public health policy.

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Justice Ravindra Bhat, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India chaired the plenary session 1 on the theme “Economic Policies, TRIPS and Healthcare: Building Bridges for Access”.

He highlighted the importance of public interest as a ground for granting injunction in pharmaceutical patent disputes. Justice Bhat focussed on access to health and its intersection with the Intellectual property Right laws in broader parlance and interlinkages between health, trade, and access to medicines which balance economic and public rights.

The panellists emphasized the need for innovative policy solutions and greater collaboration between governments, pharmaceutical companies, and international organizations to promote affordable access to medicines for all.

The second plenary session on the theme “Ink & Insight: Living the Scholarly Life Through Thought, Research & Publication” focused on the role of research and publication in shaping public health policy, particularly evidence-based policymaking.

The panellists highlighted the influence of economic interests and conflicts of interest in health policy formulation and stressed on the importance of transparency in policymaking.

Dr. Sharmila Mary Joseph, Principal Secretary of Kerala’s Local Self-Government and Women & Child Development Department, delivered a special address that emphasized local bodies’ crucial role in addressing healthcare challenges and utilizing development funds effectively.

Subsequently, thematic sessions explored diverse aspects of health governance, including intellectual property rights (IPRs), medicine accessibility, research ethics, and technology’s impact on health outcomes.

On the first day of the symposium, a special address by Prof. Chantal Thomas, Vice Dean and Radice Family Professor of Law, Cornell Law School, United States of America highlighted India’s significant role in healthcare, emphasizing its moral leadership during Covid-19 and in bringing out the Doha 2001 declaration.

She called for an analytical shift in legal and political discourse, advocating for dynamic trade models that consider gender and promoting participatory politics in international trade law.

White the Day 2 featured esteemed speakers and participants delving into critical health governance issues, particularly in TWAIL and Health Equity, abortion rights, reproductive justice, and TRIPS and regional integration in health.

The symposium ended with a special address by Dr. Anup Wadhawan, former Commerce Secretary, Government of India and a distinguished lecture by Prof. Lorand Bartels on “International Economic Law and Right to Health”.

The Symposium was organised by the Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade established by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with Centre for Justice, Law and Society (CJLS) at Jindal Global Law School (JGLS).