Oct 28: Public Consultation on Trade, Access to Medicines and the Right to Health with Anand Grover, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

American University Washington College of Law
October 28, 2010
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At a consultation with UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Anand Grover, health advocates gave testimony relating to their complaints filed with the UN about U.S. trade policies continued from the Bush administration that violate the right to health. The webcast for the event is now available.

The groups criticized the U.S.'s policy of placing countries that produce generic medications on a "watch list" which threatens trade sanctions.  Generically produced medications account for 80% of the world's HIV medications.  The Obama administration promised to support the right of countries to produce lifesaving medications, but the complaint contends that they have continued to place countries like India on a list generated by the U.S. Trade Representative.  An afternoon panel discussed the effect that the Anti-Counterfieiting Trade Agreement will have

Complaints to the UN Special Rapporteur and Submissions for the Record: 

• Complaint by Health GAP and 15 other Civil Socity Organizations. July 2010.
• Complaint by Thai Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS and 12 other Thai Civil Society Organizations, October 2010.
• Submission for the Record by Peter Maybarduk, Staff Attorney, Public Citizen

Public Consultation Schedule and Presentations:

I.  Examination of the Impact of the U.S. Special 301 Program on Access To Medicines and The Right To Health

 
II.  Examination of International Intellectual Property Enforcement Agenda

About the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

The United Nations Human Right Council appointed Mr Anand Grover as Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health at its eighth session held in June 2008. Mr Anand Grover, a practicing lawyer in the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court of India, took up his functions as Special Rapporteur on 1 August 2008. He is the Director of the Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS in India, having offices in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore which he co-founded in 1981 with Ms. Indira Jaising, The Unit dealing with HIV/AIDS was established in Mumbai in 1998.

Anand Grover is a pioneer in the field of HIV and has handled several hundred HIV/AIDS related litigations in India. He appeared in the first HIV case relating to the HIV activist, Dominic D Souza, The Lucy D’ Souza case, challenging the isolationist Goa Public Health Amendment Act. He also fought the first case on blood transfusion in the Calcutta High Court, P v. Uol as well as successfully arguing against the patenting of anti-AIDS drug Nevirapine Hemi-hydrate.

Mr. Grover has also appeared in several well known cases as lead counsel in various public interest and human rights matters, including the first HIV case in India relating to employment law, MX v. ZY, the Bombay Pavement Dwellers case, several environmental cases including the Bhopal Gas Disaster case, the Goa Zuari Agrochemicals case, various sexual harassment cases including the India Air Hostess cases, the Shehnaaz Mudhbatakal v. Saudi Arabian Airlines, and various animal rights cases, such as the Camel case, the Kamani Tubes Ltd. Case, and the Garware Nylons Case.  He has also acted as an advocate in many important cases regarding the right to marry and the rights of sex workers, such as the Mr. X v. Hospital Z case and the Mumbai Bar Dancers case.