Joint Resolution of the International Conference:
The Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs in the Russia
9 October 2001
Moscow

Whereas, the counterfeiting of medicines and pharmaceuticals is a critical problem of growing magnitude globally and in the Russian Federation;

Whereas, according to the World Health Organization, the victims of counterfeit medicines include patients, whose health and even lives are put at risk when they unknowingly consume counterfeit medicine; legitimate pharmaceutical manufacturers, which lose both consumer confidence and incentives needed for research and development of new life-saving medicines; and, governments, which forfeit significant taxes, duties and other revenues;

Whereas, the counterfeiting of medicines in Russia is growing rapidly. The Russian Ministry of Health reports a 10-fold increase of verifiable cases of counterfeit drugs since 1998 and, has compiled a list of 56 foreign and domestically produced drugs that have been counterfeited, many of which are well-known and widely-used antibiotic, insulin, and cardio-vascular medicines;

Whereas, The Russian Federation risks becoming a major center of illegal manufacturing, importing, warehousing, exporting and transiting of pharmaceutical products unless improved measures for detecting, prosecuting and punishing those who trade in counterfeit medicines are rapidly implemented;

Whereas, an unprecedented gathering of Russian and international pharmaceutical manufacturers, health and law enforcement officials, medical experts, consumer organizations, industry groups, Rospatent and legislators occurred today, 9 October 2001, in Moscow at the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' International Conference: "The Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs in Russia";

Whereas, the more than 200 conference participants from throughout the Russian Federation, Europe and North America have investigated and come to a broad consensus on both the causes and solutions of the problem of counterfeit medicines in the Russian Federation and declared counterfeit pharmaceuticals an insidious threat to the health and well being of the Russian people.

Therefore, Be it Resolved, that the public and private sector vow to work closely together on a coordinated, comprehensive and permanent program to fight the buying, retailing, producing, wholesaling and transiting of counterfeit drugs in the Russian Federation.

Be it Further Resolved, that Working Groups of public and private sector experts be organized to implement a three-part Action Plan to Fight Counterfeit Medicines in Russia, which includes:

• Active support of pending anti-counterfeit and intellectual property protection amendments to the Russian Federation's Law on Medicine, Administrative Code, Civil Code, Criminal Code, Customs Code, Trademark Law and Patent Law to strengthen the framework for stopping the illegal production and trafficking of counterfeits in general and counterfeit medicines in particular.
  
  
• Strategies for increasing the effectiveness of enforcement activities, including stopping counterfeit medicines at borders, identifying, seizing and destroying stockpiles of counterfeit drugs, and prosecuting and imposing strong penalties on those who manufacture and trade in counterfeits.
  
  
• Broadening working coalitions and practical cooperation among health officials, law enforcement authorities, the medical community, pharmaceuticals manufacturers and distributors, consumer organizations, intellectual property protection groups, and the Russian and international business communities at large.

Be it Further Resolved, that the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers will make public ongoing progress reports on implementation of the Action Plan to Fight Counterfeit Medicines in Russia, the first such report to be completed by 1 March 2002; and, finally

Be it Further Resolved, that this resolution distributed broadly to Russian Federation officials and State Duma members, the domestic and international pharmaceutical industry, healthcare providers, consumer organizations, news media, intellectual property groups and other relevant public and private sector parties.

APPROVED by

Anton Katlinsky, Deputy Minister
Russian Federation Ministry of Health

Dr. Alexander Korchagin, General Director
Russian Federation Agency on Patents and Trademarks (Rospatent)

Robert Rosen, Eecutive Director
Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

Peter B. Necarsulmer, President
Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights

Tim Trainer, President
International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition

and, by unanimous consent, the Conference Participants