Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02VATICAN6064
2002-12-19 13:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vatican
Cable title:  

HOLY SEE FEARS FAILURE ON TRIPS IN WTO TALKS WOULD

Tags:  ETRD VT WTO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS VATICAN 006064 

SIPDIS

DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR; DEPT ALSO FOR EB/TPP/MTA AND EUR/WE
(D. MENNUTI)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD VT WTO
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE FEARS FAILURE ON TRIPS IN WTO TALKS WOULD
POSE SERIOUS HUMANITARIAN REPERCUSSIONS; URGES COMPROMISE

REF: DEILY-HARDT TELCON 12/19

UNCLAS VATICAN 006064

SIPDIS

DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR; DEPT ALSO FOR EB/TPP/MTA AND EUR/WE
(D. MENNUTI)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD VT WTO
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE FEARS FAILURE ON TRIPS IN WTO TALKS WOULD
POSE SERIOUS HUMANITARIAN REPERCUSSIONS; URGES COMPROMISE

REF: DEILY-HARDT TELCON 12/19


1. (U) THE HOLY SEE CONTACTED THE EMBASSY DECEMBER 19 TO
CONVEY ITS URGENT CONCERNS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FAILURE OF
ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS AT THE WTO GENERAL COUNCIL IN REGARD TO
TRIPS AND PUBLIC HEALTH. IN A NON-PAPER DELIVERED TO THE
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 VATICA 06064 191322Z
EMBASSY (TEXT BELOW),THE HOLY SEE CHARACTERIZED THE U.S. AS
BEING ALONE IN OPPOSITION TO THE CURRENT CHAIRMAN'S TEXT, AND
SUGGESTED THAT THIS "BLOCKAGE" WOULD "RESULT IN SERIOUS HARM"
TO MILLIONS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AT RISK FROM HIV/AIDS,
MALARIA, TUBERCULOSIS, AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES, WHILE
ALSO DAMAGING A RULES-BASED TRADE SYSTEM. EMBASSY
UNDERSTANDS THAT HOLY SEE PERMANENT OBSERVER TO THE WTO,
DIARMUD MARTIN RAISED THIS CONCERN WITH THE SECRETARIAT OF
STATE AND REQUESTED THEIR INTERVENTION WITH THE EMBASSY.
AMBASSADOR HAS ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM VATICAN-BASED
MEDIA TO COMMENT ON THE U.S. POSITION IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS.
PER REF DISCUSSION, EMBASSY WILL DEFER PUBLIC COMMENT UNTIL
AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF CURRENT ROUND OF TALKS DECEMBER 20.
WE WILL ALSO CONVEY TO THE HOLY SEE OUR STRONG DESIRE TO
ENSURE LIBERAL LICENSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THOSE MEDICINES
RELATING TO HIV/AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS, MALARIA AND OTHER
INFECTIOUS EPIDEMICS OF SIMILAR GRAVITY CITED BY THE HOLY SEE
IN ITS NON-PAPER. AS THE NON-PAPER CONCLUDES, THE HOLY SEE
WOULD VIEW A FAILURE OF THE TALKS AS "A MATTER OF SERIOUS
ETHICAL AND HUMANITARIAN CONCERN."


2. (U) THE FULL TEXT OF THE HOLY SEE'S NON-PAPER FOLLOWS:

BEGIN TEXT:

THE HOLY SEE HAS LEARNED WITH CONCERN OF THE BLOCKAGE OF
NEGOTIATIONS AT THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATION (WTO) ON THE QUESTION OF TRIP'S AND PUBLIC
HEALTH.

THE DOHA DECLARATION ON THIS ISSUE WAS HAILED AT THE TIME BY
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 VATICA 06064 191322Z
ALL SIDES AS AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD IN RECONCILING THE
PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS OF THE POOREST COUNTRIES AND THE
IMPORTANT BENEFITS WHICH CAN COME FROM A RULES-BASED
INTERNATIONAL REGIME FOR THE PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY RIGHTS.

THE AGREEMENTS AT DOHA FORESAW THAT A DEFINITIVE DECISION ON
THIS QUESTION SHOULD BE TAKEN BY THE END OF THIS YEAR 2002.

THE HOLY SEE HAS ALSO LEARNED THAT NOW THE UNITED STATES
SEEMS TO STAND ALONE IN ITS OPPOSITION TO THE TEXT THAT HAS
BEEN PATIENTLY NEGOTIATED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TRIP'S
COUNCIL.

A FAILURE TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT BY THE TIME-LIMIT INDICATED
RUNS THE SERIOUS RISK THAT ENTIRE NEGOTIATION WOULD COLLAPSE.
IT WOULD BE A DIFFICULT TO "FREEZE" THE CURRENT AGREED TEXT
FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT PERIOD INTO THE NEW YEAR.

THE FAILURE TO REACH A CONSENSUS WOULD RESULT IN SERIOUS
HARM, ESPECIALLY TO MILLIONS OF PERSONS IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES WHO ARE MOST EXPOSED TO HIV/AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND
MALARIA, AND TO OTHER POSSIBLE SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.

SUCH A FAILURE, IN THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES, WOULD RESULT
INEVITABLY IN DAMAGE TO A RULES-BASED INTERNATIONAL TRADE
SYSTEM, SOMETHING WHICH IS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO THE
UNITED STATES.

THE HOLY SEE URGENTLY INVITES THE UNITED STATES TO EXAMINE
ALL THE POSSIBLE WAYS WHICH ARE STILL OPEN TO ADDRESS
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 VATICA 06064 191322Z
CONCERNS ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION, WITHOUT
ENDANGERING THE ADOPTION OF A CONSENSUS DECISION AT THE WTO
WITHIN THE TIME-LIMIT FORESEEN.

THE HOLY SEE CONSIDERS THAT THIS IS A MATTER OF SERIOUS
ETHICAL AND HUMANITARIAN CONCERN.

END TEXT.

HARDT

UNCLASSIFIED

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2002VATICA06064 - Cla