Title of Assignment: Intellectual Property, Health Access and Local Manufacturing Expert

Name of unit/sector: Global Health Unit, Global Challenges Division, Global Challenges and Partnerships Sector

Place of Assignment: WIPO, Geneva

Expected duration of assignment:  1 March 2024, to December 31, 2024 (Initially, subject to renewal for 12 months based on funding and performance)

1. Background
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a Specialized Agency of the United Nations. WIPO leads the development of a balanced and effective international intellectual property system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all. WIPO provides a global forum for discussing intellectual property (IP) policy. It also provides services and information related to intellectual property.
WIPO’s Global Challenges Division supports the policy debate at the interface of IP and global health.  To that effect, the Division engages substantively with Member States, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector and civil society to better inform pertinent policy deliberations. The Global Challenges Division develops and maintains practical tools to demonstrate the impact and benefits of IP at the intersection of major challenges facing humanity, including global health and access to medical technologies.

The Global Health Unit of the Global Challenges Division implements the global health components of WIPO’s Development Agenda. Its work is oriented towards strengthening WIPO’s position as the leading intergovernmental forum for addressing the intersection between IP and access to health products.

WIPO provides training and capacity building support to help member states better understand the complex interplay between intellectual property, public health and access to medical technologies. It conducts independent studies to build knowledge for evidence based policy making, convenes stakeholders to debate the issues, develops toolkits and training courses on a range of IP and health issues.

The global challenges division seeks to engage the services of a global IP expert to support the implementation of the health unit’s technical assistance programs related IP and access to medical technologies for member states, industry, universities and NGOs in the health sector.

2. Objective of the assignment
The expert works under the supervision of the Head of Global Health Unit. The expert will support the head of global health to implement special projects on IP related to access to medical technologies, licensing, technology transfer, local manufacturing, Ai and One Health AMR.

Tasks & Deliverables
The expert will perform the following tasks:

a) Support the development of content and training modules on relevant topics including the WTO TRIPS Agreement flexibilities for compulsory licensing case studies, voluntary licensing models and access to medical technologies.
b) Support regional and local manufacturing initiatives through technical assistance on the  development of the IP and innovation eco-system required in low income countries.
c) Support the development of the unit’s work on assessing the innovations, technologies and IP related to the One Health solutions to combating AMR.
d) Assess the changing IP landscape with the rise of new platform technologies such as mRNA, CRISPR-CAS and Monoclonal antibodies, examining the rise in patent litigation  and potential solutions to multiple innovators and cross-licensing models.
e) Support the unit’s research and awareness raising activities on the differences between drugs, medical devices and diagnostics and the different forms of IP used for each one.
f) Monitor developments in the Ai for Health space with respect to the use of Ai algorithms and the IP challenges of machine-based inventions and ownership in the health sector.

3. Reporting
The incumbent reports to the head of Global Health Unit.

4. Profile
Essential:
• Advanced university degree in international law and public health.
• At least 6-8 years experience working on intellectual property related aspects of global health innovation and access to medical technologies.
• Extensive experience working on the flexibilities in the international IP system, including under the TRIPS Agreement.
• Working knowledge of Licensing, Technology Transfer and Regional Manufacturing.

Desirable:
• Good understanding of IP aspects of One Health AMR and Ai for Health.
• Excellent analytical and drafting skills and experience working in developing countries, especially the Caribbean and Pacific states.
• Experience working with health ministries or the pharmaceutical industry.
• Practical knowledge of IP and access related challenges posed by the pandemic.

5. Duration of contract, payment and application deadline:

The duration of the contract is set for twelve months renewable. The contract might be renewed based upon satisfactory performance and availability of funds. Interviews will be conducted in late February and the selected candidate is expected to start by early March 2024.