By Sean Flynn

Pedro Roffe Rosenfeld, the former Director of the UNCTAD-ICTSD Project on Intellectual Property and Development, and an important contributor to debates and policy making at the intersection of intellectual property and development, passed away on October 1, in Lausanne, Switzerland. He died peacefully surrounded by his family Emilia, Irina and Dariela. 

His daughters reported:

“We remember him as an incredibly kind, generous, funny and brilliant human being who made an impact on the world and everyone he met. He was simply the best. He lived life his way and will forever live in our hearts.”

The news of Pedro’s death was first shared on Linked-in by Pedro’s colleague and friend Maximiliano Santa Cruz, of Santa Cruz IP, who wrote:

“With studies at NYU, the University of Amsterdam and the Geneva Institute of International Studies, Pedro was a prominent Chilean who dedicated his life to the issues of intellectual property and technology transfer in the international arena, first at the UNCTAD and Development, and then from the academic field. As an important player in the international discussions in Geneva, he was a tireless promoter of dialogue between countries, a renowned advocate of the balance that must exist between the protection of intellectual property and access to knowledge and health, and a mentor to generations of diplomats from the most diverse countries that acted in the international sphere. More importantly, he was an upright and brilliant man who always left Chile’s name high and earned transversal respect in the world of international negotiations. Those of us who knew him personally will miss not only his relevant voice in intellectual property but his deep humanity and generous friendship.

I had the good fortune to work with Pedro on many different projects, primarily at the intersection of trade law and public health. We published, taught, and provided technical assistance to Geneva delegates together in a long running ICTSD-PIJIP partnership. When he left ICTSD, we continued to see each other frequently in Geneva, including for an occasional game of tennis on the red clay courts of his favorite club.”

His daughter, Dariela Roffe-Rackind, confirmed Pedro’s passing, writing:

“My dear dad passed away on October 1. He was an exceptional father (papa), grandfather (yeyé) and human being. I am so proud to read about the impact he also had professionally on so many people around the world. What an example!”  

The Consumer Project on Technology’s archived website contains the following brief biography of Pedro from a time when he was one of the most impactful experts on IP and development issues in the world:

Pedro Roffe is currently Director of the UNCTAD-ICTSD Project on Intellectual Property and Development. He has been a staff member of UNCTAD, Geneva, from 1973-2003. His work in UNCTAD has focused on intellectual property, foreign investment, transfer of technology-related issues and international economic negotiations. He has contributed to several UN reports on these issues and to specialized journals. His latest book by Kluwer Law International (2001) deals with “International Technology Transfer: The origins and aftermath of the United Nations negotiations on a draft code of conduct” (edited by Patel, Roffe, Yusuf). Pedro Roffe has a legal background, with studied at the Universidad de Chile, New York University, Amsterdam University and the Graduate Institute of International Studies (Geneva).

His publications included many important works in the field including major books such as:

  • International Technology Transfer: The Origins and Aftermath of the United Nations Negotiations on a Draft Code of Conduct, see here
  • Negotiating Health: Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines, see here
  • Intellectual Property and Sustainable Development: Development Agendas in a Changing World, see here
  • The ACTA and the Plurilateral Enforcement Agenda: Genesis and Aftermath
  • Current Alliances in International Intellectual Property Lawmaking: The Emergence and Impact of Mega-Regionals, see here
  • Protecting Traditional Knowledge: The WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore, see here
  • The Cambridge Handbook of Public-Private Partnerships, Intellectual Property Governance, and Sustainable Development, see here

The body of his work motivated the publication of Intellectual Property and Development: Understanding the Interfaces: Liber Amicorum Pedro Roffe (Carlos Correa and Xavier Seuba, eds).

Pedro Roffe’s many legacies include the alteration of trade agreement provisions to be more hospitable to access to medicines concerns, the adoption of the WIPO Development Agenda, and the training and educating of thousands of academics, students, and government officials around the world. 

Pedro was not a tall man. But he was a giant in the field with shoes that will be hard to fill. He will be sorely missed. May our work carry on his legacy and stand on his broad shoulders.

Pedro was a close colleague who had a large impact on many who study and promote policy reform on intellectual property and development. Some recent reflections of those he touched are included below.

His family reports that an event will be held at a later date (likely in November) to celebrate Pedro’s life. In lieu of flowers, if you wish, the family would appreciate a donation to Ligue Contre le Cancer (the Suisse Association Against Cancer) in memory of Pedro Roffe, Pl. des Perrieres 7, 1296 Coppet. https://dons.liguecancer.ch/checkout/donation-checkout-don-de-condoleances If you wish to attend the remembrance or send a message to the family, please send them to: pedro.teRecuerdo@gmail.com 

TRIBUTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

“Pedro was a friend and colleague for many years. I first met him around 2001 when I started working as CPTech’s first full time legal counsel. Pedro was then a wise sage in the field with a deep knowledge of the history of international intellectual property law making and the responses of developing countries demanding technology transfer in different forums. He was an early theorist and practitioner of what would later be called ‘regime shifting’ of IP debates between Geneva-based and other institutions that could be more or less hospitable to the interests of developing countries. He was then one of my teachers and mentors. He became a colleague and friend through a long partnership between ICTSD and PIJIP providing training, research and technical assistance on IP-development issues at the intersection of trade and health law. We continued to be friends after ICTSD disbanded, including at an occasional tennis match on the red clay courts of his favorite club. I was preparing to write to him to serve on a board when I heard this news. He will be terribly missed by me and others.”

— Sean Flynn, Director, Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property, American University Washington College of Law    

“Pedro Roffe is a sage with infinite wisdom and a wealth of knowledge. You can always count on him to provide insightful perspectives and pragmatic advice. He is also an indispensable bridge that connects people to people and ideas to ideas. He is deeply passionate about intellectual property law and policy, and his lifelong work on development issues has made the world a much better place. RIP Pedro. We will miss you dearly.” 

— Peter K. Yu, Regents Professor of Law and Communication and Director, Center for Law and Intellectual Property, Texas A&M University

“Pedro was my supervisor at UNCTAD, where I had the chance to assist him in putting together the UNCTAD-ICTSD Resource Book on TRIPS and Development. Later on, we published various joint articles, especially on free trade agreements and TRIPS flexibilities in the area of public health. I was deeply impressed by Pedro’s intellectual openness and curiosity, but even more so by his humanity and genuine character. He became my role model of how a manager at the UN should lead a team. Unforgettable to me are our travels to the ICTSD dialogues in Bellagio, our missions to Kampala/Uganda and Mexico City, and of course the annual presentations on transfer of technology at Strasbourg University. All of those were marked by Pedro’s analytical power and – always at the right moment – his great sense of humor. I feel privileged to have known Pedro for this long time, and I am grateful to him for what he taught me. Rest in peace, dear Pedro.”

— Christoph Spenneman, Intellectual Property Counselor at Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property

“Pedro was one of the gentlest and yet most effective advocates for technology transfer to support developing countries. His advocacy on this topic over many decades influenced and impacted so many generations of intellectual property practitioners, policy-makers, and scholars. He was such a strong inspiration to me that I absolutely had to meet him on my first trip to Geneva even though he had no idea who I was. As always, he was extremely diplomatic and polite towards a perfect stranger from Seattle who showed up unannounced at his office simply because she had to find the person behind all these wonderful books on intellectual property and global distributive justice. Our first meeting eventually turned into collaboration. One of the most significant projects I have ever worked on is our book, The Cambridge Handbook on Public-Private Partnerships, Intellectual Property Governance, and Sustainable Development. Throughout the long process of creating this work together, Pedro was a steady intellectual partner to me and our co-editor Ahmed Abdel-Latif. Like so many others, I will miss Pedro’s sturdy intellectual and moral guidance in global intellectual property law and policy matters. My deepest condolences to his family and may he rest in peace.

–Margaret Chon, Donald & Lynda Endowed Chair for the Pursuit of Justice, Faculty Co-Director, Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics Program, Seattle University School of Law

I came to know Pedro Roffe as an early advocate of measures to transfer manufacturing technology to developing countries, particularly through his pioneering work at UNCTAD.  His 1985 paper, UNCTAD’s Draft International Code of Conduct, discussed challenges and responses to those challenges that could fruitfully be revisited today. Pedro mentored young scholars and counsel governments all of this professional life, which extended far beyond his tenure at UNCTAD, and I am grateful for the time he spent educating me. 

–James Packard Love, Director, Knowledge Ecology International, Washington, DC, USA

“My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Pedro played a significant role in debates on development and IP rights, stressing on the need to strike a balance and cautioning against tilting it in favor of more and expansive IP rights in the name of promoting innovation. He championed the causes of developing countries on issues like access to medicines and played an i vital role in developing a counter discourse against the dominant discourse in IP and development. I interacted with him when I was in Geneva as a Post-Doc Research Fellow, prior to that and after that, and learnt a lot from his work. A nice gentleman, always willing to listen and share his knowledge. The volumes he edited and contributed to have had significant impact on understanding the various dimensions in IP and developments. His contribution will always be remembered as an exemplary one”

— Krishna Ravi Srinivas, PhD, RIS, New Delhi & NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad

“I first met Pedro Roffe in 2005 during my visit to Geneva, and he generously welcomed me into his ICTSD office. We engaged in meaningful discussions on various intellectual property and public health matters, and he displayed a sincere interest in hearing about my experiences working on these issues in Pakistan. Pedro’s warm hospitality left a lasting impression, and he kindly gifted me a couple of copies of UNCTAD-ICTSD’s monumental work, the Resource Book on TRIPS and Development. Subsequently, he extended an invitation for me to participate in one of ICTSD’s dialogues, leading to our continued interactions after I joined the MSF Access Campaign in Geneva. Throughout our encounters, Pedro consistently demonstrated a deep and genuine commitment to addressing intellectual property and development challenges in the developing world. I am profoundly grateful for his assistance in facilitating my connection with the important work of ICTSD. In remembrance of Pedro Roffe, we honor his dedication and the positive impact he made in the field of intellectual property and development. His warmth and support will be greatly missed, but his legacy continues to inspire us all. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

— Prof. Dr. Aziz ur Rehman, Director, School of Law, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

“Pedro Roffe is known to me as an author mostly, when I was a young law student researching to understand the intricate issues that connected trade and development at the international level. I remember interacting with him over email during my LLM days for a certain document that he had prepared for an address on how international technology transfer was meant to take place after the signing of the TRIPS agreement. Gracious as ever he replied by sharing some updates and a few very important references for my reading. I was more struck by the fact that he replied and encouraged questions, which helped comprehend UNCTAD papers better. I remember thinking then, that the best people bring out the best by their own example. My sincere condolences to his loved ones, and all of us who grew to become better with his good sense. R.I.P and kind regards! Sunita.”

– Sunita Tripathy, PhD candidate, European University Institute, Florence & teaching at Jindal Global Law School, India.   

“My deepest condolences on the passing of Pedro Roffe. To those of us who work on IP and technology transfer at UNCTAD, he was truly the father of our daily bread and butter. I learned much from him and I am truly grateful. I have only good memories of working with Pedro – such as when we went to Vietnam to explain the impact of TPP accession to their local pharmaceutical firms (and when went off on our day off to go see Halong Bay!), or chatting over a dinner with colleagues at a restaurant in Ferney. You will be missed.”

Kiyoshi Adachi, Legal Officer
UNCTAD