Professor Frederick Abbott, our Edward Ball eminent scholar professor of international law, recently was appointed chair of the Technical Advisory Group to the World Health Organization (WHO) Local Production and Technology Transfer Program. Fred is uniquely qualified to lead the group, as he is an internationally recognized expert on international intellectual property rights, technology transfer and licensing, and global economic issues and has been a consultant for WHO for decades. According to WHO, the Technical Advisory Group on Local Production and Technology Transfer Program was established to provide strategic and technical advice in the field of promoting and strengthening sustainable local production and technology transfer to improve access to quality, safe, and effective health products. The group is comprised of renowned experts with knowledge and expertise in a broad range of disciplines relevant to local production and technology transfer of health products, including policy coherence, financing, business and market environments, investments, human capital development, infrastructure, research and development, production efficiencies and capabilities, collaborations/partnerships, and market intelligence. During his career, Fred has served as an expert consultant for numerous international and regional organizations, governments, and nongovernmental organizations, mainly in the fields of intellectual property, public health, trade, competition, and sustainable development. Please join me in congratulating Fred on being selected for this much-deserved leadership role!

Published on July 7, 2023