The Passing of a Giant in the Field: Pedro Roffe
October 10, 2023
Pedro Roffe Rosenfeld, the former Director of the UNCTAD-ICTSD Project on Intellectual Property and Development and an important contributor to debates and policy-making at the intersection of intellectual property and development, passed away on October 1 in Lausanne, Switzerland. He died peacefully surrounded by his family, Emilia, Irina, and Dariela.
His daughters reported:
“We remember him as an incredibly kind, generous, funny and brilliant human being who made an impact on the world and everyone he met. He was simply the best. He lived life his way and will forever live in our hearts.”
The news of Pedro’s death was first shared on Linked-in by Pedro’s colleague and friend Maximiliano Santa Cruz, of Santa Cruz IP, who wrote:
“With studies at NYU, the University of Amsterdam and the Geneva Institute of International Studies, Pedro was a prominent Chilean who dedicated his life to the issues of intellectual property and technology transfer in the international arena, first at the UNCTAD and Development, and then from the academic field. As an important player in the international discussions in Geneva, he was a tireless promoter of dialogue between countries, a renowned advocate of the balance that must exist between the protection of intellectual property and access to knowledge and health, and a mentor to generations of diplomats from the most diverse countries that acted in the international sphere. More importantly, he was an upright and brilliant man who always left Chile’s name high and earned transversal respect in the world of international negotiations. Those of us who knew him personally will miss not only his relevant voice in intellectual property but his deep humanity and generous friendship.
I had the good fortune to work with Pedro on many different projects, primarily at the intersection of trade law and public health. We published, taught, and provided technical assistance to Geneva delegates together in a long running ICTSD-PIJIP partnership. When he left ICTSD, we continued to see each other frequently in Geneva, including for an occasional game of tennis on the red clay courts of his favorite club.”
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