Abstract
Larry Helfer

Each of the panelists will speak for 5-10 minutes.  They will highlight different aspects of the interface between human rights and intellectual property that are germane to the themes of the Congress.  Topics to be discussed include:  (1) the increasing focus being paid by UN human rights bodies to the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its benefits; (2) the growing understanding within the scientific community of the multiple and complex relationships between science, scientific responsibility, and human rights; (3) the relationship of IP to indigenous peoples and indigenous knowledge, especially in the context of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; (4) implications of the EU Treaty of Lisbon for the relationship between IP and human rights; (5) whether fundamental rights are likely to become an effective tool to secure balanced IP rights, both in principle and in practice.