WIPO China: Congratulatory Letter from Ms. Wang Binying, Deputy Director General of WIPO, to the 2nd Conference of Global Health Forum of Boao Forum for Asia

June 6, 2021

On June 2, The Opening Plenary of the 2nd Conference of Global Health Forum of Boao Forum for Asia (GHF) was held in Qingdao. Ms. Li Bin, Vice-Chairperson of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended the Opening Plenary and delivered a keynote speech. The Opening Plenary was presided over by Dr. Margret Chan Fung Fu-chun, President of GHF, Mr. Li Baodong, Secretary General of Boao Forum for Asia and Mr. Liu Jiayi, Party Secretary of Shandong Provincial Committee delivered welcome remarks on behalf of organizers. More than 1,000 representatives from governments, international organizations, enterprises, academia and the media participated in the Opening Plenary. Ms. Wang Binying, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), sent a congratulatory letter to the Conference.

Highlights of Congratulations from Ms. WANG Binying, Deputy Director General of WIPO

 It is an honor for me to have the opportunity to speak at the Plenary of the Second Conference of the Global Health Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia this year. On behalf of Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), I would like to thank the Boao Forum for Asia and the Global Health Forum for its invitation to WIPO, and extend our warm congratulations as well as sincere greetings on this occasion to all distinguished participants attending this important event.

Two years ago, I had the privilege to attend the First Conference of the Global Health Forum of Boao Forum for Asia held in the same city, Qingdao. Today, despite of being thousands of miles away, I could still feel the warm and pleasant atmosphere of that Conference.

Today, the world is facing an unprecedented health crisis - the COVID-19 pandemic. This hard reality has proven that ensuring long-term human development requires first ensuring good health for all.

In 2015, the United Nations identified “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” as one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, WIPO has contributed to the SDGs including the health goals by providing concrete services to its Member States, enabling them to use the IP systems to gain the innovation, competitiveness and creativity that they need to ultimately achieve these goals.

Scientific and technological innovation has contributed to significant advances in public health, so does it create a challenge to the Intellectual Property protection. To face such challenges, WIPO has established the Global Challenges and Partnerships Sector, aiming to raise public awareness and understanding of the complex linkages between global health and access to medical technologies, innovation, technology transfer and trade. The goal is to leverage intellectual property as a tool that contributes to meet the world’s most pressing health needs.

In addition to developing a balanced and effective international IP system and providing efficient and timely global IP services to protect and encourage innovation and creativity, WIPO also builds up public-private partnerships to allow the industries and civil society to share their expertise in tackling the said issues.

Furthermore, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are strengthening their cooperation and practical coordination on issues around public health, intellectual property and trade. The three Organizations meet regularly, exchange information on their respective work programs and discuss and plan, within the possibilities of their respective mandates and budgets, common activities. The trilateral cooperation is intended to contribute to enhancing the empirical and factual information basis for policy makers and supporting them in addressing public health in relation to IP and trade. In the future, with deeper and extensive trilateral cooperation, it is believed that more people will benefit from innovative technologies in the medical field and enjoy a healthier life.

Two years ago in Qingdao, I was inspired by the first Global Health Forum, and I was delighted to see that some of the outcomes of that conference have been put into practice, as reflected in the Program of the Second Conference.

I am confident that all of us will benefit from this significant event, and it will bring more profound impact on global health.

I wish the second Conference of the Global Health Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia a great success! 

Ms. WANG Binying, Deputy Director General of WIPO

About the Second Conference of the Global Health Forum of Boao Forum for Asia

The Second Conference of the Global Health Forum of Boao Forum for Asia was held in Qingdao, Shandong Province from June 1 to June 4. Themed "Health beyond Health - In the Year of Sustainable Development 2030" and with the goal of "Health for All" advocated by the United Nations and WHO, it brought together dignitaries, experts, celebrities, tycoons and far-sighted persons in the field of health around the world to hold talks on hot issues related to universal health coverage. The plenary session and a number of sub-forums were held around the three themes of "Universal Health Coverage," "Innovation" and "Health in All Policies." A variety of events were held during the conference, including the Dialogue between Ministers and Entrepreneurs, Health Technology Innovation Exhibition and Global Health Expo.