The G77 met in Bolivia last week to commemorate the formation of the Group of 77 on 15 June 1964. ‘The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations, which provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development.’ http://www.g77.org/doc/

The Group issued the Santa Cruz Declaration ‘For a New World Order for Living Well’, which starts as below: http://www.g77bolivia.com/en/declaration-santa-cruz

‘1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the member States of the Group of 77 and China, have gathered in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Plurinational State of Bolivia, for the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Group.’

The Declaration has this to say about public health and access to medicines:

’62.     We recognize that universal health coverage means that everyone has access, without discrimination, to a set of basic medical services of promotion, prevention, cure and rehabilitation that meet the needs and are determined nationally, as well as to essential quality, safe, affordable and effective medicines while ensuring that the use of these services does not entail serious economic difficulties for users, especially people in vulnerable situations.

’63.     We also recognize that many developing countries do not have the financial or human resources or the infrastructure to implement the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Therefore, we call upon developed countries and relevant international organizations to provide the adequate financial resources and technology to developing countries that will complement their efforts to have policies and measures that provide universal health coverage and basic health services for all.

’64.     We note with great concern that non-communicable diseases have become an epidemic of significant proportions, undermining the sustainable development of member States. In that sense, we acknowledge the effectiveness of tobacco control measures for the improvement of health. We reaffirm the right of member States to protect public health and, in particular, to ensure universal access to medicines and medical diagnostic technologies, if necessary, including through the full use of the flexibilities in the Doha Declaration on the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) and Public Health.

’65.     We recall paragraph 142 of the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, in which Heads of State and Government reaffirmed the right to use, to the fullest extent, the provisions contained in the TRIPS Agreement, the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, the decision of the General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) of 30 August 2003 on the implementation of paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration and, when formal acceptance procedures are completed, the amendment to article 31 of the TRIPS Agreement, which provide flexibilities for the protection of public health, and in particular to promote access to medicines for all and encourage the provision of assistance to developing countries in this regard. We affirm the importance of taking advantage of the use of TRIPS flexibilities in order to promote the people’s health and access to medicines. We call upon developed countries to fully respect the right of developing countries to make full use of TRIPS flexibilities and to refrain from taking actions, including trade measures, to prevent or dissuade developing countries from exercising this right.

’66.     We are concerned about the increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance to existing drugs, including those against tuberculosis and malaria. As a result, increasing numbers of patients, especially in developing countries, face the prospect of dying from preventable and/or treatable diseases. We urge the international health authorities and organizations, especially the World Health Organization (WHO), to take urgent action and to work together upon request with developing countries that do not have adequate resources to address this problem.’

Best wishes, Neil

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